A New Normal
by Kizmet
Summary: For better or worse the promises you give define you. Rin and Bon adjust to their new bond while Shima looks for a way out of a certain promise he made. Meanwhile the Exorcist Exam draws near; Rin got off on a technicality when the Exam failed to happen last year but the Grigori's ultimate still stands: Pass or Die.
1. Oracle at Delphi

**A New Normal**

**Disclaimer:** Characters and premise are the property of Kazue Kato. I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.

**Prelude: The Oracle at Delphi **

"All that is left is to seal the deal," Mephisto announced. The lights went out again and when the torches flickered back to life the rescuers and escapees were back in the massive chamber that housed Gaia's center, the Naval of the World. Mephisto produced a penknife with a flourish and handed it to Shiemi. "I don't have a contract so a handshake will have to suffice."

Shiemi bit her lip then drew the knife across the breathe of her palm. A thin line of blood welled up from the cut. "I, Moriyama Shiemi, agree to be Gaia's agent in Assiah, to guard the wellbeing of her children with every resource available to me. To lend Gaia my eyes, my hands, my feet and my ears from the hour of three in the afternoon to the hour of six so that she might walk among her children and offer them aid." She pressed her bloody hand to the glowing Omphalos. "I agree to this for two decades that the youngest of the children may have a sanctuary in which to grow to adulthood."

"I, Gaia, accept Moriyama Shiemi as my agent and give her access to my power to wield in the defense of my children," Gaia replied. "I limit my possession of her body to the hours of three in the afternoon to the hour of six and I limit my possession to her eyes, her hands, her feet and her ears. Neither her heart nor her mind is mine to join with at any time. At the end of two decades this arrangement will end, although a new arrangement may be negotiated at that time." There was a flash, when Shiemi withdrew, a deep red hand print was left on the white stone and the cut on her hand was healed, but the scar left behind was the green of new leaves.

"So this means we don't have to worry about you merging with Gaia anymore?" Shima asked.

Shiemi smiled and nodded as she walked back to the others. "I'll stay me, except for the three hours when Gaia borrows my body, then I'll be here."

"And I wanted to be the one to save the day for Shiemi-chan," he said with a rueful chuckle as he scratched the back of his head.

Shiemi smiled at him, "It's the thought that counts."

Mephisto turned to Gaia. "Allow me to offer you a welcoming present," He said reaching out toward the Omphalos but stopping short. "Remember Delphi as it was when it was the center of the world rather than a keepsake of a past Assiah."

"What are you up to Samuel?" Gaia asked, but she sounded curious rather than accusing.

Mephisto laid both hands on the glowing stone, his eyes fell shut. "Remember, my lady."

On the surface above the cavern the ruins of Delphi sprawled across a terraced slope south of Mount Parnassus. Mephisto's power spread across the land in a massive pulse. An echo of Delphi at it's height shimmered, translucently, overlaying the modern day ruins.

With each pulse of power the echo gained substance and solidity until it was the ruins that appeared as a ghostly image of what was to come then faded away altogether. In it's wake Delphi stood reborn, glittering marble columns, broad paved streets, empty and waiting for it's new inhabitants, it's new era.

The band of refugees climbed up the stone stairs and exited into a perfectly round structure, it's roof supported by twenty-two graceful columns. The sun was setting over a lush, steep-sided valley. In the distance, far below, they could see the the Gulf of Corinth, it's waters reflecting the dying light back to the sky.

"Well, looks like shelter won't be an issue," Neuhaus remarked pragmatically while Shiemi stared in wonder, across a small valley to the city proper, restored to its ancient glory. "We need to see what sort of access we've got to water," Neuhaus continued. "I imagine this place isn't on the power grid... or the sewer system. We'll need to figure out how we're going to feed everyone."

Shiemi smiled. "I think I'll be able to help with that," she said thinking that it would actually be very nice to have somewhere to direct Gaia's power.

While the others started walking toward the restored city that was to become their new home Shima hung back. He loitered at the top of the stairs until Mephisto joined him. "Sir Pheles?" he asked softly once everyone else was out of earshot. "May we speak?"

"Hmmm, very polite approach," Mephesto observed. "You must be in deep trouble."

"Only because I'm changing my mind," Shima replied. "Remember that."

* * *

><p>When Shima and Mephisto joined the rest of the party in the restored city of ancient Delphi Shima was surprised to see that there were a number of new people mingling with the refugees, handing out blankets and food. In the mixture of saffron, black and white robed figures Shima picked out Theravada and Myodha Buddhists, Hindu priests and Jain monks. "I guess Nishiki got the word out after all,' he muttered to himself.<p>

A slim young man with short dark hair separated himself from the crowd when he saw Shima walking up the road and ran over, his white and red stole flapping behind him. Before Shima could react he was hauled into rough hug that quickly mutated into having his hair mussed mercilessly.

"Juu-ni! Cut it out!" Shima protested, futilely trying to shove his older brother away. He felt raw from his confession to Mephisto and the last thing he wanted to deal with was his family.

Disregarding Shima's struggles, Juuzo kept a secure hold on his younger brother but he switched to holding him at an arm's length, the better to look him over. "You look okay," Juuzo said. For a moment his expression was one of pure relief then he put on a stern face. "What were you thinking pulling shit like this?"

"Geeze, I left Bon in good hands," Shima whined, his normal easy-going manner felt like a straightjacket, but it was all he had so he tried to make it fit. He scowled as he remembered what Nishiki had told him. "I heard you guys were being mean to Rin-kun... and over a job I don't even want!"

"What did you expect?" Juuzo exclaimed. "You disappear and Bon shows up with some other guy taking your place as if you going missing didn't matter at all. Hell no we weren't going to let that pass." Juuzo shifted to a scolding tone. "Renzo, protecting the High Priest and his successor is a huge honor for our family. It's not busywork for you to shove off on just anyone. Do you have any idea how often the Hojo try to argue that it should be their responsibility?"

"Speaking of the Hojo, what are you doing here anyway? Shouldn't you be planning your wedding or something?" Shima deflected desperately.

Juuzo's expression softened into something bittersweet. "I've always had a thing for Mamushi. She's so driven, so sure of herself. I always wanted to impress her. Now I guess I'll never know if she said yes because she likes me too or because she didn't have anywhere else to go when I asked," he said. "Anyway, after Nishiki told us what you'd been up to, well, Mamushi and I discussed it. We both want lots of kids. So we decided why not start off by adopting? If we weren't engaged, I think Mamushi would probably be making plans to move here permanently to help you guys out."

Then Juuzo scowled. "Don't distract me! You abandoned your responsibilities! For all we knew you could have been dead! What would Take think of you?"

Shima had heard that all his life: 'What would Take think?' 'Take is the pride of the Shima family.' 'You must live in a way that would make Take proud.' He knew he should have been inured to it, but at that moment Juuzo's words, the inseparable mixture of affection and disapproval that always characterized Shima's interactions with his family, felt like acid being poured over his soul. Years of anger and resentment bubbled up and spilled out in an uncontrollable rush. Shima stomped viciously on Juuzo's instep and twisted free of his older brother's grasp. "Don't you mean you wish I was dead?" he demanded furiously. "That's what you always mean isn't it? That I should have died instead of Take."

Juuzo stared at his younger brother stocked and horrified. "Ren, you don't really think that," he stammered.

"How the fuck could I think anything else!" Shima shouted, his raised voice drew the attention of the nearby crowd. "Every day, every damn day of my life, you all constantly tell me how much better Take was than me. So why don't you finally just admit you wish I'd been the one to die that day not him! That you hate me because it was my fault Take died." Shima smirked bitterly, "You know all the times you told me to think about what Take would do? I never told you, but I couldn't remember him for at all for the longest time. Guess what? I finally remembered, that day at least. Why didn't you ever tell me that Bon was already safe, that Take only died because he came back for me? It would have explained a whole lot. But I guess that would tarnish his perfect image, having everyone know that Take died saving someone as worthless as me."

Mephisto discreetly pretended that he couldn't hear Shima's outburst, as did the majority of the crowd milling about. But Shiemi and Mamushi watched with concern and sympathy as Juuzo struggled and failed to find the words to make things right.

"Just shut up," Shima's voice cracked. "You're a decade too late to sell me on anything. I'm done pretending to be blind and stupid. The only thing I ever could have done to impress you or Dad was die and I'm not interested." He stepped back and threw his staff at Juuzo's feet. "Tell Dad he can have that back, 'cause I want nothing to do with being a Shima man or Myodha. Screw the lot of you!"

Shima turned and stormed away. After a few moments, Juuzo knelt and picked up the staff. He stared at it helplessly. Shiemi frowned at him, "Go after him!" she ordered. "Tell him he's wrong."

"I don't know how to make him believe me," Juuzo admitted. He shook his head looking stunned. "I never had a clue Ren was thinking any of that." Mamushi broke away from the crowd and went to her fiance.

Shiemi huffed in frustration, she turned her back on them and went after Shima herself. It took her nearly an hour of searching through the many small shrines lining the streets of Delphi before she caught a glimpse of pink through one of the windows. Shiemi slipped inside the building, Shima was sitting on the ground, his head tilted back against the wall as he stared blankly at the ceiling. "Shima-kun? Are you going to be okay?" Shiemi asked tentatively.

Shima glanced at her tiredly. "Why don't you call me Renzo?" he suggested. "Seeing as how I just kicked myself out of my family."


	2. Kyoto Summer

**A New Normal**

**Disclaimer:** Characters and premise are the property of Kazue Kato. I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.

**Chapter One: Kyoto Summer**

After the ceremony that had formally bound Rin as Bon's retainer things began to settle into a routine. Shiemi and Shima had turned up in Delphi, safe and sound. Juuzo was assigned to head the group sent to figure out what to do with their refugees and to bring the two missing Exwires home, Mamushi went with him. It was decided that the other four 2nd year Exwires would spend the rest of their summer break with the Myodha.

One morning about a week after the ceremony, Rin looked around dining hall and grinned at the sight of people enjoying his food. "We should go sight-seeing," he announced after he and the other Exwires finished their own breakfasts. "My junior high class took a field trip to Kyoto but I didn't get to come." Rin held up a brochure. "I wanna see the Kyoto Tower."

Bon wrinkled his nose, "That place is an eyesore." Then he sighed, "Not that I have time to go sight-seeing anyway; more Council meetings."

"Oh," Rin said, his tail drooped and he scuffed his toe along the floor guiltily. "Are they going to yell at you some more?"

"Don't you go feeling bad about that," Bon scolded. "It was my choice… And I think they're over me going off script during the ceremony. Besides, they aren't really mad about the changes I made to our oath, so much as that I didn't clear it with them first. But that doesn't mean you and Kamiki can't go sightseeing."

"I think that's a great idea," Izumo interjected. "...Even if it came from Suguro." Bon scowled at her in return but decided against rising the bait.

"You're sure?" Rin asked uncertainly. "There's nothing I can do to help with the council?"

"You should go," Konekomaru said with terribly serious expression. "It will make it much easier to talk about you if you aren't there."

"Gee thanks," Rin groused.

"I'm not just teasing but don't worry," Konekomaru said patting Rin's hand and smiling. "The Council mostly needs to talk about capitalizing on the good feelings your display created."

Bon rested his hand on Rin's shoulder for a moment. "It's okay. I wasn't supposed to take over from my dad as head priest for another ten years or so, but we can't go back now so they're trying to cram a decade of preparation into a couple of weeks."

"You saved all of Kyoto from the Impure King. Good news: no one associated with the Kyoto Branch treats you like a pariah anymore. Bad news: you're getting assigned Exwire chores like the rest of us and Mom's still got you filling in for the Ryokan's chef. Plus Angel as much as said he'd be back for us the moment his unit gets assigned a mission. This is summer break you should get to have some fun; Koneko and I are consumed with all the restructuring in the Myodha; but you and Kamiki aren't so take advantage of it."

A few hours later, Rin found himself crammed into a crowded train car headed to Arashiyama, one arm wrapped lightly around Izumo's waist so they wouldn't get separated. They got lunch from a street vendor near the Togetsukyo Bridge then walked through the bamboo groves and saw several temples. As they headed back toward the train station, Rin bought a little fox charm for Izumo's phone.

"We should go to Kyoto Tower next," Izumo declared as they looked at the different stops.

Rin waffled indecisively. "We don't really have to go there," he said.

Izumo scowled. "It was the first thing you mentioned. You want to see it, so we're going there. Who cares what Suguro thinks."

"Yeah, I guess, it's not like I'm making him come with us," Rin said hesitantly.

Izumo grabbed his arm and dragged him up to the kiosk and got them both tickets for the Kyoto Station. "We're going," she informed Rin. When their train arrived at it's destination, Izumo marched straight over to the ticketing window with Rin in tow and purchased tickets for the observation deck without giving Rin another chance to protest.

As the elevator rose so did Rin's excitement. When the class trip been announced, he'd immediately been drawn to the pamphlets about the tall, modern looking spire towering over the city. Then his teacher had looked at him and declared that anyone who got detention in the two weeks before the trip wouldn't be allowed to come. Rin had tried to stay out of trouble, he'd really tried, but it hadn't been enough. Trouble followed him and so did teachers looking to give detention. Rin had wanted to see the Kyoto Tower for years, not going now that he had the chance, just because Bon didn't approve of the structure would have been stupid. He grinned down at Izumo, "Thanks," he whispered as the elevator doors slid open. He ran out and peered through one of the telescopes swiveling it this way and that.

In the end the two of them stayed and watched the sun set from the observation deck. Standing beside Izumo as the last rays of the day caught on the railing, Rin screwed up his courage. He tugged lightly on her arm. When she turned to look at him Rin lunged forward before he could have second thoughts. They collided, lips mashing uncomfortably against teeth. Izumo's hands fluttered in confusion for a moment then settled on Rin's waist, keeping him from pulling back. They sorted out pressure and noses and for several moments just stood there, Rin leaning down and Izumo stretching up, their lips pressed together.

"Was that okay?" Rin asked nervously, avoiding Izumo's eyes. Izumo nodded, her cheeks pink. "Really okay." The bus wasn't particularly full as they rode back to the Ryokan that night, but Rin kept his arm around Izumo anyway and kissed her again before they let themselves into the Ryokan.

* * *

><p>The next day Bon sat on the steps outside the old Myodha temple talking with Karura as they watched Rin and Ucchusma work to refine Rin's control over his flames.<p>

"You are flame as much as you are flesh," Ucchusma declared sternly. "Once you accept that fact, controlling them will be no different from controlling your limbs."

Rin scowled fiercely, a glove of flames formed around his hand. Gritting his teeth, he reached out and picked up a pebble, only using the clawed fingertips of the flame-glove. He managed to lift the pebble almost an inch off the ground before the flames lost solidity and it slipped through his grasp. "Damn!" Rin swore.

"Try again," Ucchusma instructed. "You know you can dissolve your flesh and consciousness into flame and reform yourself. What makes you so certain that you are truly flesh?"

Rin heaved a deep sigh and reached for the pebble again.

"What exactly did Rin do to the Myodha's demon bonds?" Bon asked Karura quietly. "All I know is that it felt good to everyone, really cleared the air, but the Council wants a more specific idea of what was changed."

"Have you asked Rin-kun?" Karura asked.

"He doesn't know," Bon admitted. "Says he was just acting on instinct. And, man, do I believe that coming from Rin."

Karura fluffed his wings a bit. "In Gehenna, according to popular belief, Assiah was created as a testing ground for young demons to compete through our human game pieces," he said. "But there is another legend, currently fallen from favor, that Assiah was created first and that demons- angels originally existed to serve humans. According to the legend we were created to find joy in enslavement. Satan, however, was born with clear eyes… or born flawed depending on who tells the story."

Bon snorted. "Isn't that always the case?"

"He saw our enslavement for what it was and there came a day when the skies of Gehenna burned blue. And then we all saw through his eyes."

"So for you Satan's the hero of the story," Bon said. "Your liberator."

Karura folded his wings fastidiously. "To some. The legend continues to say that the first Assiah drowned in blood as the angels ripped free of their bonds and fell. That only the very strongest rose again as demons. And of course, there was a war, so not everyone agreed with Satan's opinion even after seeing what he saw."

"Okay, so you're saying maybe Rin did something similar to our bonds?" Bon asked. "But that doesn't make sense, Rin got rid of a lot of built up resentment."

"He purged the bonds of emotion," Karura corrected. "As the legend claims Satan did. Demon Oaths can bind emotion; the oath that binds me to the Myo-o-Dharani head priest demands the generation of suspicion. Because my oath was with the head priest that emotion tainted the entire network."

"Why would you do that?" Bon demanded.

"To survive," Karura replied simply. "Suspicion was the emotion Rin-kun cleansed from the bonds, for a few minutes we looked at what had been wrought free of suspicion. The legend claims that the angel's bonds generated joy from servitude. For humans I demanded lies and secrets to generate suspicion. From a demon the promise is enough to make it fact: joy, love, loyalty, hate, fear; to promise the emotion is to have it imprinted on your soul. But if the legend is true, the blue flames can remove the imprint. From Rin-kun's demonstration it seems that even residual emotion that eventually infect the bonds can be removed, for humans as well as demons."

* * *

><p>Shima Yaozo hesitated in the middle of handing out the day's assignments to the Exorcists assigned to the Kyoto Branch. "Okumura, Kamiki, I know you aren't normally paired together and neither of you are local, but Ryuji and Koneko are needed to speak with some of the outlying constituents about the current situation in the Myodha."<p>

"It's okay," Rin replied. "What do you need?"

* * *

><p>"Do you think he would have been less hesitant to ask if it weren't a typical, see how boring and dirty of a task we can come up with for Exwires, task?" Izumo asked later that afternoon as she and Rin trudged through a marsh searching for a variety of plant used in treating templates to replenish the Kyoto Branch's stock which had been spent treating the injuries from recent attacks.<p>

It was a hot, humid day. Rin's jacket and Izumo's sweater had been left hanging on a tree branch near the road where they'd been dropped off several hours earlier, their socks and shoes discarded and Rin had rolled up his pant legs to wade into the marsh searching for the plants on their list, half of which were technically demons themselves, members of the Earth Kingdom.

Izumo spotted a demon-tuber and quickly recited, "A devakanya who had watched the devas listening to the Dharma in Vimalakirti's room appeared in bodily form to shower flowers on the Bodhisattvas and the chief disciples of the Buddha. When the flowers fell on the Bodhisattvas, they fell to the ground, but when they fell on the chief disciples, they stuck to their bodies and did not drop in spite of all their efforts to shake them off." Once the demon plant had been pacified she plucked it and dropped it in her sack.

Rin tried to repeat her maneuver but stumbled half-way through the verse. The demon plant snickered. Rin gave it a dark look, hell-fire flickering in his eyes, and it cringed submissively. Deciding that was good enough Rin collected the cowed plant.

"We've got all day," Izumo scolded. "You should learn that sutra at least. You still have to pass the recitation section of the Exorcist Exam in January."

Rin wrinkled his nose in distaste but knew Izumo was right. The next time they found one of the demon plant, Izumo coached him through multiple attempts on the verse until Rin eventually said it well enough to subdue the demon without resorting to his flames.

Then they came across patch of calcitrappa. Izumo waded out further into the water and reached beneath the floating leaves to grab the plant by it's roots only to slip on the muddy streambed. She came up sputtering, a long strand of algae hanging over her face. "Don't laugh!" she told Rin crossly.

"You got a-" Rin leaned over to pluck the algae off Izumo's face. His eyes gleamed with suppressed amusement. Then he noticed the effect on Izumo's shirt and froze, his face heating up, 'Don't look,' he told himself. 'Stop looking.'

Izumo, only noticing the earlier amusement at her expense took advantage of Rin's awkward position: frozen, half reaching down for her. She grabbed the front of his shirt and twisted, rolling him into the shallow water and ended up pinning him beneath her. Rin sat up, spitting out water. Izumo glared, her hands on his shoulders, threatening to dunk him again. Rin felt like he could fry an egg on his cheeks as he tried to keep his eyes up and not think about Izumo straddling his lap. Izumo finally noticed both her near transparent top and her position and turned as red as Rin who had started stammering apologies, even though it wasn't his fault she'd fallen in the water and even less his fault that she'd dumped him in as well. Izumo started giggling and leaned into Rin's shoulder. Rin's apologies trailed off uncertainly.

The was a bit muddy but notably cooler than the air and the coolness of the water emphasized the heat of Izumo's body against his. "Well, it's not like either of can worry about getting the other wet," Izumo said and kissed Rin. Izumo kissed with fierce determination, as nervous and inexperienced as Rin but hellbent on getting it right. As she focused on kissing her weight settled more firmly onto Rin's lap.

Rin braced his hands behind him to keep Izumo from dunking them both as she leaned into him, their mouths moving together. Rin's skin tingled everywhere they touched, even when it was through multiple layers of clothing. He held perfectly still, uncertain as to what he should do but not wanting to anything that might dissuade Izumo. Neither one of them wanted to break the kiss long enough to breath.

Then suddenly, Rin picked Izumo up and swung her off his lap. Still sitting in the water, blushing hotly, Rin pulled his knees up toward his chest.

After a moment of confusion Izumo caught on. She sat back down beside Rin, not quite looking at him. "Water's nice and cool on a hot day like today," she remarked randomly.

"Not cold enough," Rin mumbled.

Izumo giggled. "Sorry!" She clapped a hand over her mouth to cage the giggles that still threatened.

"It was great," Rin said, a dazed smile spreading across his face. "I just don't want you thinking I'm a pervert or anything."

"We should go back to gathering herbs," Izumo decided, for a brief moment her gaze drifted downward. "Once…"

"Yeah," Rin agreed with a renewed flush.

* * *

><p>"You're in a good mood," Tatsuma commented as he passed through the kitchen and found Rin absently humming to himself as he fixed dinner. "I take it Yaozo's mission wasn't too boring?"<p>

Rin's dazed smile returned as he thought about how he and Izumo had spent the afternoon. Then he blushed at his own thoughts.

"Ohhhh, so it's like that," Tatsuma said with understanding and gentle amusement.

"I thought Bon and Koneko were going to be gone overnight," Rin changed the subject.

"They are," Tatsuma confirmed. "Me not coming along sends a much stronger message about the shift in leadership. The Myo-o Dharani Exorcists were almost all on-hand both for the revelations and for the binding ceremony, but those of us who are only associated with the clan or the temple still need to be informed. We felt the secrets that came out would be better received if it were clear that Ryuji has assumed the role of Head Priest. Even though he's my son everyone knows how little influence I have over him."

"That's not true," Rin objected. "But I guess Bon is pretty loud when he disagrees with something. Still the whole thing sort of sucks; you were doing your best to make things right for everyone."

"Thank you," Tatsuma replied. "My ultimate goal was achieved, but I myself wonder how much was it because of me and how much was it inspite of me. Because I learned one of my father's secrets early it was a much simpler decision to surrender Kurikara to Fujimoto Shiro; I knew Kurikara was nothing more than an empty symbol to the Myodha and that made it easy to trust my impression that he was a good person who would do the right thing… even when he claimed otherwise. Because of that decision you were here to share the burden with Ryuji when my plan to defeat the Impure King failed."

Rin scrunched his nose. "You needed a little help, what does it matter? Without you Bon and I wouldn't have had a plan at all."

Tatsuma shook his head sadly. "Because of my lies Mamushi-chan was left vulnerable to Saburota's manipulation. If she'd known more he wouldn't have been able to deceive her. He might have found another way to reach the Eye, but she would still have both her eyes and would not have been disowned by her father. I didn't want to burden Ryuji with our family's obligations or secrets, but I have an obligation to all the children of the Myodha, not just my own. And in the end it was you and Ryuji who destroyed the Impure King, not I. My actions and the cost of them matter more than my intentions."

"The whole council knew and agreed," Rin argued. "But you're the only one getting in trouble… And the Council still listens to you more than Bon."

"They didn't know everything; they didn't know that I always planned to destroy the Impure King." Tatsuma chuckled. "But, you're more aware than we give you credit for. Ryuji hasn't quite realized that yet, or won't admit it anyway."

Rin rolled his eyes. "I get why this whole thing gives Bon a headache. People were mad cause ya lied to 'em and you're fixing it with more lies. And even the people who were mad about being lied to are okay with lying to the True Cross 'cause you don't want them knowing that Bon's the Head Priest already."

"They can't know," Tatsuma said seriously. "They won't take it well when they realize you are ours not theirs. And Ryuji cannot be in their hierarchy and openly be the Head Priest of the Myodha."

"I know, they'll kill me," Rin sighed. "It just sucks for Bon. He hates all this lying."

* * *

><p>"It will be done," Angel declared. He stood and bowed to the man he knew as Baltazar then turned to leave the Grigori member's spacious office.<p>

"One last thing Arthur," Baltazar said. "Take the Son of Satan with you on this mission."

Angel turned back to the man with a frown. "I took personal responsibility for overseeing Okumura and Suguro's training missions because Okumura was being assigned to tasks inappropriate for an Exwire. I cannot, in good conscious, turn around and take him into combat against a Grand Duke of Hell."

"We cannot afford to waste the Paladin's time on missions suitable for an Exwire," Baltazar replied. "Surely you realize that? The only reason you were assigned to mentor the hellspawn was because we needed someone both beyond reproach and capable of destroying him should it be discovered that Sir Pheles' estimate of his worth prove flawed."

"I am aware. I no longer have any reservations about my role," Angel said. "I initially doubted the Grigori when I was told to train the Son of Satan while evaluating the threat he represented to Assiah. However, after eight months of close association with Okumura, I must admit that you were much wiser than I. The boy will be a fine weapon against Satan once he is fully trained."

"I recognize that my missions are beyond the scope that an Exwire would normally be allowed to participate in, however, even within the tasks undertaken by my battalion there is a range," Angel continued. "The Grand Duke calls for a very small, elite team. Lightning and I had intended to bring Okumura and Suguro along on mission where the containment squad is of use. Suguro's barrier spells are adequate, he wouldn't be a burden on them. He would be both off the front line and under the direct supervision of more advanced Arias. As Suguro's knight Okumura would naturally be assigned to his protection. I believe, under those circumstances, Okumura's natural impulsiveness would be curbed by his oath to Suguro."

Baltazar grimaced at the mention of Rin and Bon's oath. "A solid plan, but too conservative," he disagreed. "Surely you can't be implying that Eligor is more of a threat than the Impure King?"

"No," Angel said. "But I would not have sent Okumura against the Impure King."

"The results of that battle speak for themselves," Baltazar replied.

"Luck does not…" Angel began then remembered to whom he was speaking. "Okumura and Suguro will accompany me on this mission."

* * *

><p>Rin's eyes widened with surprise when he saw Mephisto Pheles and Arthur Angel walk down the stairs into the Ryokan's dining area. "Hi, how'd you guys get here?" he greeted them after putting down the pan of scrambled eggs he'd been adding to the morning buffet.<p>

"Your living area is a pig pen," Angel informed him. "After our mission I expect you to pick up after yourself. Now, where is Surugo?"

"I'm here," Bon said as he came through the backdoor.

"Suguro-kun, my condolences to your father," Mephisto said, although his tone suggested they were sharing an inside joke rather than sincerity. "We in the True Cross have been informed that his injuries, sustained in battle against the traitor Saburota and the Impure King, will limit his ability to carry out his duties as the Myodha Head Priest."

"That's right," Bon said stiffly.

"We're told that you will begin assuming some of his duties. Still your parents wish for you to complete your schooling." Mephisto continued. He nodded toward Angel. "And this one won't wait for your vacation to end before resuming your internship." He produced a pair of keys with a magician's flourish. "Bowing to pressure from both sides I have established a gate connecting your bedroom closet in the Old Dorm to your bedroom closet here in Kyoto. That should aid you in keeping up with your responsibilities here even after the school year resumes."

"Thanks," Bon said gruffly as he and Rin accepted their new keys.

"If that is settled, we have to be going," Angel stated. "Lightning is fetching one of the Order's vehicles for us as we speak."


	3. A Knight's Challenge

**A New Normal**

**Disclaimer:** Characters and premise are the property of Kazue Kato. I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.

**Notes: **I had originally planned to switch between Delphi and Japan every other chapter, but events are moving more quickly for the group in Japan. And there's more story to tell on the the Japan side before the two groups reunite. So I'm thinking it will probably be two chapters in Japan for every one in Delphi.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Two: A Knight's Challenge<strong>

Rin and Bon traded a bewildered look when Lightning drove into a parking garage in an upscale neighborhood. "I didn't think you did traditional exorcisms," Rin commented to Angel. "Isn't that an Aria thing?"

"I'll have you know that I am a fully qualified Aria!" Angel huffed. "And who said we were here for a traditional exorcism?"

Bon elbowed Rin, "He's the Paladin, he's got all the Meisters."

"That's the rule?" Rin asked, looking disheartened.

Angel suffered a sudden coughing fit.

"There's no way I'm ever going to get Aria," Rin sighed. "I can't even figure how I'm going to manage the general requirement for the Exorcist Exam in January."

"The Paladin isn't actually required to have every Meister," Lightening reassured Rin. Then he grinned slyly at Angel, "Isn't that right?"

"I don't have Doctor," Angel muttered, flushing slightly.

"And you've only got a Limited Tamer," Lightning added cheerfully.

"Sometimes you talk too much," Angel complained as Lightning explained to Rin and Bon, "Caliburn counts as a familiar, but Angel doesn't actually have the talent to summon. Some people have a strong natural ability in that area, most can learn at least enough to call up demons who have a general contract with the Order, but then there are some people who have no aptitude for summoning at all."

"On to business," Angel stated firmly.

"The demons are probably too scared of you to answer your summons," Lightning continued blithly. He patted Angel on the shoulder in mock sympathy.

Angel ignored Lightning and glared at Rin and Bon instead. "The two of you are strictly here to observe. Once I confront the demon don't even speak!"

Rin rolled his eyes thinking of his early days at the True Cross Academy; tagging along with Yukio on his missions and constantly being told to do nothing as if he'd cause a disaster by simply breathing the air.

"I mean it!" Angel snapped. "Do not draw the demon's attention."

"Fine, we'll just watch. Right?" Bon said.

Rin immediately stopped pouting and nodded.

The four of them walked for several blocks until they were standing outside a tall apartment building. Angel pressed the buzzer for the penthouse suite. A soft click indicated that the intercom had been activated. "Arthur Auguste Angel, Paladin of the of the True Cross. In the name of God, I challenge you," he announced himself.

A deep booming laugh answered him. "So they've tired of sending small fry. I will be right down Paladin _Angel_."

"That guy was the demon?" Bon asked when Angel stepped away from the intercom. Wondering at the odd way the speaker had emphasized Angel's name.

"That was Eligor, a Grand Duke of Hell and one of Azazel's most trusted lieutenants," Lightning confirmed.

"And we just walked up and rang his doorbell?" Bon asked.

"How else would I challenge him?" Angel replied.

"Eligor was discovered by a local priest," Lightning said. "We're the fourth Exorcist team to be sent after him. The others were slaughtered to a man. But in past generations he conducted himself as a knight, which means he should answer a challenge and may even limit himself to fight as a knight. That makes our Angel the ideal person to send against him."

The door to the apartment building swung open and a handsome, broadly built man, taller than even Angel, stepped out. His eyes swept over Angel and locked onto Caliburn. "So, Knight of the Cross, you are of _that_ blood. Come to challenge me with the very sword your ancestors stole from me?"

"Do you accept my challenge?" Angel asked tersely.

"What are your terms?" Eligor asked.

"We continue until either your soul or mine departs Assiah," Angel said.

Eligor laughed again. "If our acquaintance wasn't going to be so short I could grow to like you, Blondie. Do you have a son or will Caliburn have finally drank the last of your house's life and return to me once this battle is done?"

Angel gave the demon a haughty look and flipped his waist-length hair over his shoulder. "Do I appear to have much need of Caliburn's aid?" Angel pointed to a rooftop several streets over, "Shall we make that our battlefield?"

"Yes, enough talk. Let the blood begin to flow." Eligor agreed. He leapt up, kicking off the vertical wall of the building to gain more altitude. Angel followed him.

Rin's jaw dropped open. "I'm learning that next," he whispered to himself as he, Bon and Lightning ran after them. Rin jumped and grabbed the lowest rung of the fire-escape on the building Angel had chosen. He pulled himself up then leaned back down to offer Bon a hand. Lightning scrambled up, his fingers finding purchase between the bricks in the building.

They heard the sound of swords clashing several flights before they reached the roof. Rin raced up the last flight and threw himself on to the roof in time to see Angel and Eligor's swords cross with a ringing clang. For several moments the demon and human knight tested their strength against the other. Neither gave an inch as their blades ground together drawing sparks. In the light cast by the sparks Rin caught a glimpse of Eligor's true appearance: a skeletal figure in black plate armor, grey skin stretched taut over a skull too triangular to be human with bone white antlers sprouting from his temples.

The two combatant leapt apart. They glared at each other from opposite edges of the roof, each studying the other for an opening. Angel moved first, he swung Caliburn in a broad arc casting a shockwave of power off the blade.

Eligor stabbed his longsword into the roof and the wave broke on his blade. Angel dove at him, trying to cleave the demon lord's skull in two. Eligor threw himself to one side and kicked Angel in the side as he came to his feet again. Angel rolled across the roof. Eligor smiled predatorily and pounced.

Rin bit through his lip. Bon started to raise his beads to chant but Lightning caught the young Aria's arm and pushed them down.

Despite being down, Angel countered Eligor's attack. He used Caliburn's size, bracing the point of his sword on the ground and slanting it across his body to nullify the advantage gravity gave Eligor. Then Angel twisted Caliburn to the side and dumped the demon knight off him. Caliburn hummed appreciatively as Angel rose to his feet. But Eligor had also regained his stance so neither had an advantage.

There was another pause as the combatants circled each other warily, searching for an opening.

Angel darted forward, trusting that Caliburn's massive size would cause his opponent to underestimate his speed; a mistake many of his adversaries had fallen victim to in the past.

Eligor whipped around and blocked Angel's attack with jarring force. Then the Duke of Hell grinned, dug in and shoved, "Before, I held back," he said as Angel was thrown completely clear of the roof.

Again Bon start to cast a barrier, hoping to catch Angel before he fell to his death and again Lightning stopped him from intervening. Blood welled up around Rin's nails as he clenched his fists hard enough to break the skin even in his human form.

Before he'd fallen more than a dozen feet, Angel kicked off of the vertical side of a neighboring building, redirecting and controlling his momentum. A moment later he landed in a crouch on the ledge of the roof they'd chosen as their battleground.

"Very good," Eligor sketched a small salute to Angel. "You are quite remarkable for a mere human, but the conclusion of this battle was a foregone conclusion. There is no denying it; you may be my equal in speed, but I am stronger and I have had over seven hundred years to hone my skills. The only question that remains is whether or not you call on Caliburn's oath to win a pyrrhic victory. With his full power at your disposal, you _may_ be able to send both our souls on."

Angel smiled grimly. "You are fast and, I admit, my superior in strength. But I have no need of centuries to achieve your level of skill."

"Arrogant little human," Eligor tsked. "Your seconds will lament your folly." He went on the offensive forcing Angel to give ground with an unrelenting series of rapid, powerful strikes. Then the demon hooked his blade under Caliburn's hilt and ripped the sword out of Angel's hand.

As Angel fought to keep from being disarmed he was pulled forward, into his opponent. For a heartbeat the world held its breath then the two knights separated. A dagger was buried to the hilt in Eligor's chest. The demon collapsed slowly to his knees. Angel reclaimed Caliburn and raised the sword over Eligor's neck.

The Duke of Hell looked across the roof, staring into Rin's eyes and the sky went dark. A mad howling wind rose and whipped around them. Angel's eyes went blank, Caliburn began to slip from his suddenly lax grip. Lightning reached into his poncho. This time when Bon raised his prayer beads the older Exorcist didn't stop him.

Rin couldn't move, couldn't tear his eyes from Eligor's. Even if he could have found the strength to fight the other demon's mesmeric presence, he knew Bon's command would still hold him helpless.

Eligor raised a hand and the winds ripped Bon and Lightning from the surface of the roof. The danger to Bon broke Rin's paralyse, he jumped up and grabbed both of the other Exorcists. Rin's momentum carried them back to the roof and he dug his claws in, anchoring them before Eligor could summon more power.

"As a knight I was challenged and as a knight I answered," Eligor stated, his eyes never leaving Rin's. "And so by the terms of the challenge, I die. It would have been different had I been challenged and fought as a demon. Ah well, my life here was over anyway, what with Exorcists crawling all over the place like fleas on a dog. At least this knight has some sense of style, even if his ancestors were thieves."

The wind stopped and the daylight returned. Angel snapped out of his daze, he caught Caliburn a moment before the sword would have slipped completely from his grasp and, in a single blow, severed Eligor's head from his shoulders.

Eligor's body crumpled to the ground. His head bounced across the roof until it came to rest against the ledge surrounding the roof.

Angel returned Caliburn to his sheath then bent to reclaim the dagger. "Normally I don't carry two blades," he said quietly to Rin. "I only started recently in order to gain a better feel for the style of swordsmanship I'm teaching to you."

* * *

><p>Rin stared pensively out the window as they drove away from Eligor's building. "Did he do something before we started attacking him?" he asked quietly.<p>

"Hmm?" Angel asked.

"We were the fourth Exorcist team dispatched," Lightning dissembled. "The others all died."

"Yeah, but what was Eligor doing BEFORE they attacked him?" Rin repeated. "Was it something bad?"

Angel shrugged. "He was a Duke of Hell and we found him in Assiah, of course he was up to no good." Lightning moved to elbow the Paladin but wasn't fast enough to stop him from saying, "Demons don't belong in Assiah."

"Right, demons don't deserve to live," Rin said flatly.

"You're different," Bon insisted loudly.

Angel frowned at Lightning as if to say, 'Aren't you supposed to stop me from putting my foot in my mouth.' Lightning shrugged in silent response, 'I tried didn't I?'

"Because I belong to you," Rin said to Bon.

"Don't say that," Bon snapped, then his face went white. "Fuck," he swore. "That's why you didn't try to help during the fight, I told you not to. Damn it, I'm sorry Rin. It's not supposed to be like this."

Rin turned back to the window looking unconvinced. Bon grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back around. "You're my partner, my friend. You don't belong TO me, you belong WITH me, got that?" he said forcefully.

Rin smiled a little in response to Bon's determination. "Got it," he said. But it was still a mostly silent drive back to the True Cross Academy.

After Lightning returned the Order car to the Academy's garage the senior Exorcists led Rin and Bon off campus instead of taking them straight back to the Od Dorm and the Gate to Kyoto that Mephisto had created. Curiosity briefly distracted Rin from his thoughts, he traded a mystified look with Bon.

"It's tradition to take your interns out to dinner after a successful mission," Angel informed them stiffly.

A few blocks off campus LIghtning opened a non-descript door and ushered them into a tiny hole-in-the-wall bar. The room was barely bigger than Rin and Bon's dorm room, a third of the space was taken up by a dark mahogany bar. An old woman stood behind the bar. Two women and a man, all foreigners, all wearing Order pins, sat on the bar stools.

"'Bout time you got here," the older of the two women said, her Japanese marred by a strange drawl. "We were startin' to think ya'd died." She wore a plaid shirt and a midcalf-length jean skirt.

"Traffic was vicious," Lightning said blandly after a slightly too long pause.

The man glanced up at that. "It must have been a close thing," he said. "Arthur isn't remonstrating us for doubting him."

"You have eyes," Angel scoffed. "I assumed they provided you with sufficient notification of my victory over Eligor."

"Eyes work great; blood spots show on white," the second woman said. Her long red-hair was barely contained by the green scarf she wore over her head. "I take it these two are your new tag-alongs?"

Angel gestured Rin and Bon forward. "Our new Exwire Interns: Okumura Rin, Knight-hopeful and Suguro Ryuji, Aria and Dragoon-Hopeful." He turned to Rin and Bon, his gestures encompassed the three strange Exorcists and Lightning. "The True Cross' Archknights: Durov Tereza, Tamer-Adept, Wang Zi, Aria-Adept, Oakley Annie, Dragoon-Adept, and of course you know Lightning, who serves as the Order's current Doctor Adept."

Bon nodded, it would have been a shorter list to ask the Archknights which Meisters they didn't hold rather than the ones they did, but it was customary that between them, the four Archknights and Paladin served as the foremost representative of each of the five meisters. From the way Lightning's introduction had been phrased, Bon assumed he was equally skilled in at least one other meister and was acting as the Doctor-Adept because the other position had been easier to fill.

Rin cringed back almost hiding behind Bon while the Archknights sized him up. "You know, with all the rumors about him, you'd think someone would mention that Satan's son is a cute kid," Annie remarked. Rin flushed. "And shy too," she added grinning at Rin.

Angel gave Bon and Rin a small push toward the empty seats next to the three Archknights while he and Lightning took the seats on the boys' other side. The proprietor brought out seven plates, piled high with mouthwatering food, without bothering to wait for them to order. Rin and Bon hesitated for a moment, worrying about manners and making a good impression, but when the others dug in without pause they quickly followed suit. Once significant inroads had been made on the plates the conversation resumed.

"Zi, you and your team are relocating nesting dragon next week," Angel stated abruptly. "Take them along. Suguro in particular should get some experience working with other Arias. Okumura will protect Suguro of course. Leaving his Aria-partner's protection to anyone else would cause undue stress."

"I don't suppose you're ranked in the Fire Kingdom?" Wang asked Rin.

"I thought dragons were in the Water Kingdom," Bon said scowling at the thought of having been given bad information.

"It's a European dragon," Wang replied. "Bulkier, more likely to be malevolent and breathes fire. So..." He looked back to Rin.

Rin grimaced. "I don't know. My brother told me Iblis would hate me, I guess that means I'm not?"

Wang snorted. "That means Iblis would see you as a threat. My mission might have just turned easy. Arthur, you mind if I have the kid talk to our dragon? He might be strong enough to command it's cooperation."

"Only if Okumura is under your personal protection while he's talking," Angel stated. "If it doesn't listen you will NOT test whether Okumura's flames are stronger than dragon-fire."

"Looking out for Rin is my responsibility," Bon objected. He knew he wasn't as strong as the Archknight, but he'd just met Wang Zi and, given their earlier experiences with Order Exorcists, Bon wasn't sure how motivated the Aria-adept was to protect his knight.

Wang eyed the younger Aria thoughtfully. "We heard about the stunt the two of you pulled in Kyoto. How close did you come to killing yourself holding a barrier like that on your own?"

"Too close," Rin answered for Bon.

"I had a brutal headache for forty-eight hours afterwards," Bon admitted grudgingly.

Wang nodded. "I'll email you some chants that work well against Dragon-fire, memorize them before the mission and you can bolster my shields while we parlay."

"Alright, enough work!" Annie interrupted. "Time to brag. So boys, lets have a first hand account of the Impure King's fall."

Tereza gave Annie a disgusted look and held up her mug for more alcohol.

* * *

><p>That evening at the Old Dorm, before Rin could gate back to Kyoto, Lightning pulled him aside. "You were a little quiet at dinner," he commented. "Still thinking about Eligor?"<p>

Looking ashamed, Rin nodded.

"Figured." The archknight tipped back his ever present bucket hat and revealed distinctly inhuman eyes to Rin's shock. "My demon blood isn't nearly as strong as yours, I can't be held by a demon oath," Lightning said. "On the other hand, even if my demon heart was transplanted for safekeeping, I wouldn't be able to survive what you have. But I do understand a little; it isn't often comfortable, being a demon in the Order of the True Cross."

"Why are you here then?" Rin asked.

"A bit the same as you," Lightning shrugged. "My mom was… not nice. I was born in Gehenna. I only escaped because Mom went and grabbed this prodigy knight-hopeful from the True Cross Academy of London," Lightning nodded in Angel's direction, "The two of us managed to rescued ourselves. Afterwards… I'd never been in Assiah before, didn't know anyone or anything. He was my anchor while I figured out what to do with myself."

Rin stared at Angel, eyes wide.

Lightning chuckled. "Yeah. If you ask him Angel loathes all demons, but his closest friend for better than a decade is a part-blood. Our Angel prides himself on obstinacy; he'll never change his mind about demons… he just makes exceptions for individuals that he likes. You're an exception too."

Rin looked down, hiding a small smile.

"From what I've seen demons and humans both have their fair share of close-minded bigots and zealots," Lighting said. "But the problem with immortals is when you get one of those at the top they last longer. You see the problems with the True Cross and they've been swinging toward the moderates for fifteen years now. What you see today? This is fifteen years of moving away from a regime that had an ax to grind, and that regime only held sway for maybe twenty years."

"Once you start looking past this current Assiah time's a little fluid," Lightning continued. "Don't trust archaeologists, they'd have you believe that Egypt and Sumeria had their heyday at the same time, give or take a couple hundred years. They're wrong, Egypt, Sumeria and a number of other notable human empires were each the pinnacle of an entirely different Assiahs, but the pieces that were saved and added to this Assiah make them look to be contemporaries because of how they were preserved. Anyway, Satan returned from the Void ten million years ago and started rebuilding his power base. He and his have held sway over inner Gehenna for thousands of years now."

Rin winced.

"Not your fault he's your dad," Lightning reminded Rin. "Humans are far from perfect, but they're easier to change than demons." Then he laughed, "If things get too bad on Assiah someone, a god or demon, gets sick of it and wipes the whole place out. When the new Assiah is created it's a fresh start for all concerned. Maybe Gehenna needs a little of it's own medicine. But I don't know that any of us would survive that."

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong>

I hate coming up with names for my OC's. So the Archknights' names are drawn from history. Annie Oakley was an American sharpshooter / exhibition shooter from the 1800s. Wang Zi was a Chinese philosopher from the 1600s. The Durov family have been notable Animal Tamers in the Russian circus since 1912, several women in the family performed under the name Tereza.


	4. Oracle in Business

**A New Normal**

**Disclaimer:** Characters and premise are the property of Kazue Kato. I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.

**Chapter Three: Oracle in Business**

Renzo unplugged his cell phone from a modified car battery and scanned through his email. He quickly zeroed in on one address and hit respond.

"Alice-san, Thanks for the instructions on rigging the car battery," Renzo wrote. "We all appreciate not having to get into town to keep our cellphones running. Your Engineers without Borders group has been a life-saver. Do you have any additional thoughts on using geothermal power to run the generators we bought? The cost of diesel is becoming an issue and the generators the only source of power for our hospital.

"We've managed to place a number of the infants for adoption but over the next 8 months we are expecting a hundred and ten more births. Making sure we've got electricity when we need it is really important. I know you guys are just students but all the official channels are more interested in setting conditions than in helping us.

"I realize it sounds a little strange, but really, don't worry about what sort of geothermal activity we have. Tell us what we need and we'll adapt." As he typed, Renzo thought, 'As long as Neuhaus or I can explain what we need to Amaimon, he can move magma flows or create hot springs to order.' "The geothermal heating system you designed for our main building is working great and we've got hot water. I cannot express how grateful we are for the hot water (I'm taking daily baths again, if for no other reason than than certain people are expressing their gratitude… just joking).

Thanks again for all your help, things would be pretty rough here without you guys."

He hit send and scanned through his email again.

Renzo grimaced as he opened a letter from one of the official aid organizations they'd approached. Then he pocketed his phone and wandered out into the main room of the former Temple of Apollo, currently converted to a dormitory. The space had been divided up using shoji screens. A mixture of cots, futons and bed rolls were arranged in the rooms defined by the screens. They'd tried to find bright colors, to make things cheerful, to create children's room, but at the end of the day what they ended up with was a mishmash of whatever they could get and very few of the kids talked so it was hard to tell if they cared one way or another.

Renzo found Michelle, several of the former La Llorona and some of the colony's assorted additions in the nursery area feeding and cuddling the remaining infants. They'd scrounged up several rocking chairs and Shiemi had talked a large tree in the compound into growing cradles like fruits. As he walked in Renzo scooped up the first child he saw with open eyes and grinned, ruffling the thin hair between tiny horn buds on the infant's head.

"We've got another bunch of 'Not Exorcists, really, truly', coming," he told Michelle, keeping his tone light.

"You're sure?" she asked.

"Yep, they aren't even trying to be convincing," Renzo said. "One of them is one of the same jerks who was supposed to proctor the Exorcist Exam last January."

Michelle sighed. "So, no help, just lookie-loos."

"At best," Renzo replied.

"Is the news all bad?" Michelle asked. "Did you hear from any of your other contacts?"

Renzo grinned, "Not all bad. I'm the king of getting other people to do things for me. I gotta thank Bon for being such a hardass about doing my homework for me someday. We're doing okay, I think we'll have a way of powering the generators before September's done. I should warn Shiemi too, do you know where she's at today?"

Michelle sighed. "She's probably in the beans, trying to hurry them along and hoping her more adherent admirers didn't notice her leaving the Sanctuary."

Renzo nodded. He gave the infant he'd picked up one last cuddle then headed out the back of the converted temple.

One of Ukobach's friends or relations was supervising a small group of hobgoblins as they set up long picnic tables on one side of the courtyard. Nearby Mamushi and several former La Llorona were supervising a group of three and four year olds who were playing in the sun. Mamushi glanced up when Renzo came outside. For a moment their eyes met then Renzo very deliberately turned and walked away from her.

As he left the courtyard area Renzo spotted Maria superstitiously watching a young couple talk with another of the former La Llorona. The La Llorona looked ready to go into labor at any moment. Renzo walked over to Maria, "So, are they going to adopt her baby once it's born?" he asked, nodding to the trio across the way.

"I think so," Maria replied, her eyes never leaving the group. "Natalie likes them. She was only 17 when she became a La Llorona and in her merger she's younger still. She doesn't want to be a mother yet." Maria bit her lip then added. "I should give up my baby too, once he's born. I was a terrible mother."

Renzo noted Maria's emphasis on 'should'. "You know you've got help this time if you do decide to keep the kid?" he reminded her. "None of us are going anywhere."

Maria smoothed a hand over her swollen belly, her eyes sad. "We've also got several hundred children who have already been born to take care of. And hardly anyone is willing to adopt the older children… Not that the children are willing to trust anyone other than Lady Gaia and Lord Amaimon anyway."

"Just don't do anything you're going to regret," Renzo said. Then he straightened and stepped away from the wall where Maria had been sitting. "We've got more True Cross Exorcists sneaking in for a closer look with the next delegation from the Peace Corp," he warned her. "Spread the word."

Renzo continued north. He made his way between the bathhouse they'd constructed over the Kassotis Springs and the Amphitheater. Just past the Amphitheater a thick, impenetrable rose bramble rose in a wall 3 meters tall and a meter thick marking the perimeter of the ancient city. Renzo reached out and pricked his finger on one of the thorns then waited for it to recognize him. After a moment the brambles pulled back to create an arched passage to the outside.

A wary platoon of border guards watched as Renzo emerged from the bramble. The True Cross and the Hellenic Army had formed an uneasy alliance in order to create an armed perimeter around the Delphi sanctuary. They'd only tried to interfere with the comings and goings for the refugees once, the loss of a variety of military equipment due to sudden eruptions of plant growth had led to an impasse. The perimeter stayed; on the other side of Gaia's rose wall; the refugees came and went unmolested but not unobserved. Renzo gave them an aggravating grin as an Exorcist and several armed soldiers fell in behind him.

Outside of the armed perimeter Renzo saw a group in leafy crowns and brightly colored tunics in the style of the ancient Greeks holding up signs reading "Gaia is the Goddess not a Demon!". One of the men had forgone the tunic and stood proudly in the altogether. 'We need more girls who want to go around skyclad,' Renzo thought to himself.

Several meters to the west of the group of Goddess devotees a more conservatively dressed group was protesting the modifications to the Delphi ruins. As word of Gaia's return to Assiah spread it had drawn an eclectic group to gather at Delphi. Some came to help, some came out of fear, others came to worship Gaia and quite a few simply came to gawk.

Those who had been reached through Nishiki's connections had all been vouched for and the Myodha were carefully vetting anyone offering to adopt the children, but checking the references of the very random people who show up at the door and wanted to be a part of whatever they thought Gaia's return represented was beyond the little group's resources. With hundreds of young and abused children in their care, the rescuers had decided that it was best to be cautious about what help they accepted.

On their way to the Sanctuary's fields Renzo and his escort passed through the growing tent city springing up around Dephi. The campsites were as varied as people created them. There was the military and exorcist's orderly rows of drab, identical tents regularly broken by more substantial structures. There were people camping in their cars or RVs, others came with nylon or canvas tents and other came with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. A hundred different crests and symbols adorned the make-shift structures.

After fifteen minutes of hiking Renzo reached the first of Shiemi's fields and orchards. Tended by Greenmen, guarded by Hobgoblins and urged into fruit by the power of Gaia flowing through Shiemi acres of crops, some never seen in the region before had sprung into being overnight. There were several dozen people in a wild assortment of costumes standing just outside of the trellised bean fields loudly praising Gaia. A group of hobgoblins scowled at the crowd and pushed anyone who actually tried to enter the gardens back. Renzo could easily pick out the ones without mashos from the confused looks on their faces as invisible hands shoved them out of the garden.

Then someone in the crowd took note of the pink-haired boy approaching them. "Gaia's knight!" Heads turned and in a few moments Renzo found himself surrounded. He gave them a genial grin and kept moving forward, ignoring the hands grabbing at him. "I need Gaia's blessing!" "Tell Gaia we love her." "We just want to talk to her" "Tell Gaia-" "Ask Gaia-" "Knight, ask Gaia-"

"Come on guys," Renzo rebuffed them. "Gaia's not in right now, you know that. Now why don't you stop pestering SHIEMI?" Once he'd made to past the first row of trellis and the yellowing leaves hid him from the crowd he grimaced and dusted himself off as if to rid himself of the memory of the crowd's grasping hands.

Renzo continued deeper into the field, peering down the rows, between the trellises until he spotted Shiemi. "How's it going?" he asked.

Shiemi heaved a huge sigh. "I just can't make them dry any faster," she said. "With Gaia's power, I can grow a crop overnight, but whatever I do they dry in their own time. We're short on protein again."

"I heard some of the girls talking about getting chickens," Renzo mentioned. "If they can pull it off then we'd have eggs."

"Oh I hope so!" Sheimi worried at her lower lip, "We _have_ to be able to give the children a well-balanced diet."

"We're making progress on getting power without buying diesel," Renzo told her cheerfully. Then he snuck in, "And one of the jerks from the Exorcist Exam is trying to pass himself off as a Peace Corp guy."

"You don't think they know we were responsible for the escape from Rio?" Shiemi asked.

Renzo shook his head. "I don't think there's anyone left, except maybe Okumura Yukio and Shura, who knows what was going on at the Facility in Rio… And they won't talk, they were in as deep as us. I don't think the Grigori knows anything. That's why they keep sending people to bug us, because they don't know where all these part-demons came from."

Together they walked deeper into the gardens. Shiemi stopped every now and then to check on how a plant was doing or to pull a weed. Renzo laughed to himself about how all the plants turned toward Shiemi as she passed as if she were sun. "Make sure I stick to the weeds," Renzo warned as he started to help. Shiemi smiled and nodded.

The shadows began to lengthen, in the distance they heard a bell chiming. "2:30," Renzo commented.

"I'd better go," Shiemi said. "I think it's better if there's ceremony to mark my turning control over to Gaia."

"Let me walk you there," Renzo replied.

At the edge of the gardens they found that the crowd of Gaia's worshippers had grown to over fifty while they had been tending the crops. Neuhaus was waiting for them. "I saw this mob forming and thought you might need an escort," he said. The hobgoblins scowled at him fiercely. "As escort that everyone can see," he amended.

Shiemi smiled gratefully.

Renzo walked out in front of them and flicked his hands playfully at the crowd. "Shoo, back to the Tholos," he tsked. "You know that's where Gaia has her audiences. You don't want her thinking you're thick right? Everyday we go through this: Not Gaia, Shiemi. You won't get Gaia until Shiemi's ready so let her get ready okay?" A significant fraction of the crowd dispersed, heading up the road to the circular temple that hid the entrance to Gaia's cavern. Neuhaus and Renzo walked on either side of Shiemi, along with several hobgoblins they kept the remain crowd at bay as they also made their way to the Tholos.

While the two men waited in the upper room Shiemi walked back down the long, narrow flight of stairs to the cavern beneath where the Omphalos stood. Michelle was waiting below, with water for bathing and a change of clothing. Shiemi cleansed herself then changed into the red hakama and white haori of a Miko Priestess. It wasn't Gaia's culture but it was Shiemi's, a way of readying herself to be possessed. Once she was done she knelt in front of the Omphalos and waited.

The bell's chimes rang across the city as the hour fell. Shiemi's eyes closed. When the bells stopped Gaia rose, her eyes glowing. She walked back up the stairs. Amaimon and Maria had joined those upstairs. "The supplicants await you," Maria said, her head bowed. Amaimon and Renzo fell in step slightly behind Gaia. As they walked through the door Renzo called on Yamantaka to cloak him in flames and Amaimon unsealed his heart, assuming his full demonic form. They should have overshadowed Gaia, who's only physical sign that she had possessed Shiemi was the girl's glowing green eyes, but in truth it was Renzo and Amaimon who were all but forgotten by the crowd as they stepped out of the Tholos.

"Supplicants, I am here," Gaia announced. As one the crowd dropped to their knees, even the skeptics among them overcome by Gaia's presence.

Shima Juuzo stepped forward from the crowd, at his gesture two couples stood up along with him. "Lady Gaia, these families are of good reputation and would promise to care for your rescued children as their own," he declared.

Gaia walked down the steps of the Tholos so that she could peer into the faces of the couples. After several long moments that left the couples sweating, Gaia stepped back. "I am satisfied," she said. "They may meet the children. Renzo kept his face impassive, he knew it was all just for show. Gaia could examine a person's memories as she had done when she and Shiemi judged the Facility personnel in Rio but it was a harsh process that left the victim's mind badly disordered; hardly something they wanted to do to the prospective parents. For a moment, Juuzo's gaze shifted to his younger brother, Renzo refused to allow him eye contact. Instead he stared out into the crowd.

As he pointedly did not look at Juuzo, Renzo's eyes picked out a young man with tufts of white hair on the sides of his head and small, wing-like growths in the place of his ears. 'Saburota?' Renzo thought in alarm. The man was clearly much younger than Saburota Todo, but at the same time unmistakably he. /He reeks of Karura's stolen power,/ Yamantaka whispered in Renzo's mind.

/Of all the people I didn't want to see,/ Renzo sent back with a sigh.

When Gaia finished with Juuzo's group an older man stepped forward from the crowd. "Goddess, my valley is facing our sixth year of drought. Our farmers won't survive another bad harvest, our aquifers are going dry."

"I have no control over the rain," Gaia admitted frankly. She laid a hand on the crown of the man's head. "But take a portion of my power home with you, let it spread through the land, your crops will require less water to flourish."

"Thank you, Goddess," the man said.

The next to come forward was a man in his early twenties. "Goddess, my parents want me to join the family business should I?"

"You know the answer in your heart," Gaia dismissed him.

The next three simply asked Gaia's blessing. After that a small group came forward, a woman in a long flowing skirt and a loose shirt, with a small knife on her belt spoke on their behalf. "Goddess, the Coven of the Three Leaves asks your permission to join your Colony."

Renzo shifted back slightly, indicating that they hadn't come through Nishiki's network of contacts. 'Too bad,' he thought. 'They don't look as flakey as most.'

"Ask again once your dedication has been demonstrated," Gaia told the group. They looked disappointed but their leader nodded her acceptance of Gaia's decision.

Renzo's gaze drifted back to where Saburota was pretending to be just another part of the crowd.

The next group to come forward looked completely out of place in business suits and ties. "Ms. Gaia," their spokesman began as he took a legal document out of his briefcase and presented it to Gaia. "We represent the Town Council of Delphi. We have passed a measure requiring you to cease and desist all activities resulting in the unnatural plant growth within the municipality of Delphi."

Gaia gave the man a disdainful look. "The Earth rejoices at my return, I have no interest in curbing that joy. What is unnatural are the bands of restraint you surround your cities with."

Renzo stepped closer to Gaia and put a hand on her shoulder. "We've noticed that there's less leakage of Gaia's power when we've direct it someplace useful. Maybe there's someplace you'd like a new park, garden or vineyard?" he suggested.

"The whole country's going to be a garden soon," one councilmember mutter as they left.

Before the next person could step forward for their audience there was a stir from the back of the crowd. Gradually more and more people turned to stare. After a moment Renzo saw the source of the commotion: A tall woman with deep bluish-green skin and stark white hair strode up the road, a massive ball of water was slung over her shoulder as if it were contained in something. The crowd parted to let her through.

Once she stood before Gaia, the strange woman bowed respectfully. "Lady Gaia, I am Obizu, a Duchess of the Kingdom of Water. My Lord Egyn bids me extend his apologies to both you and the priestess Shiemi for his uncouth behavior when you previously encountered him. He offers this token and his sincere regrets." Obizu swung the ball of water to the ground in front of her, the water inside the sphere teamed with fish. Then in a much less formal tone she added, "We thought your kids might appreciate it. Humans these days say sea food's good for developing brains. And don't think too unkindly of Egyn. Just between us girls, he's like an overgrown puppydog sometimes."

"Although it appears that he is capable of learning," Gaia remarked. "The gift is appreciated. If he can remember his manners he has my leave to approach me."

Amaimon grimaced at that, /But, Mom-/ he protested silently and was hushed with a glance.

After Obizu, Gaia ended the audience and spent the rest of her allotted time visiting the children.

When the clock struck six, Gaia collapsed. Renzo went to pick her up but Amaimon got in his way. "You've been monopolizing her all day while I was busy keeping the older brats in line," he complained then carried Shiemi back to her room himself. A few minutes later Amaimon emerged looking sulky. After a bit longer of a wait Shiemi came out in her pink kimono. "I'm back."

Renzo smiled at Shiemi but after a moment he glanced away. "We should get to dinner," he said.

When they went to sit down Amaimon pointed shoved between Renzo and Shiemi. Renzo rolled his eyes and moved several places down so that he was sitting between two of the older children. The rest of the adults also dispersed around the long table where they did their best to encourage the most basic of table manners and discourage the hoarding of food.

After dinner they broke up into smaller groups, some of the children being herded into the bathhouse while the rest listened to bedtime stories.

As the evening progressed Shiemi noticed that Renzo was unusually quiet. He loitered in her vicinity despite Amaimon's attempts to discourage him. Once the last of the kids had been tucked into bed Renzo asked, "Could we talk?" Without waiting for a response he turned and walked outside.

Amaimon pouted when Shiemi got up to follow him. She squeezed the Earth King's shoulder as she passed, "Everyone was very well behaved at dinner tonight. You've been doing great with them."

Amaimon ducked his head a bit at her praise.

"I should find out why Renzo's upset," Shiemi continued.

Amaimon wrinkled up his nose at that but he said, "I'll go see if Neuhaus wants me to screw with the magma around here some more."

"Thanks for understanding," Shiemi said.

She followed Renzo up to the highest row of seats in the amphitheatre. Renzo sat down and stared out into the distance without saying anything.

"Renzo-kun," Shiemi asked, sitting down next to him. "Is something wrong?"

"You remember when you told me that you wanted to hear what I think?" Renzo asked. "Really, no one ever wanted that from me before. No one ever noticed the mask I put up, or at the least they didn't bother to try to get past it. I want you to know I really appreciate that you did." He smiled awkwardly. "And, even more amazing: after getting to know me, the real me, you still don't hate me."

Shiemi threaded her arm through Renzo's and leaned against his shoulder.

"I saw someone in with the supplicants today," he continued quietly. "Someone I was hoping wouldn't show up quite so soon. You're going to find out some stuff about me that I didn't want you to know and I don't expect you to like."

"Renzo-kun, I'm sure it's not-" Shiemi began to protest but Renzo cut her off.

"I hated everything then," he said. "You know how I feel about my family and the Myodha, but they were my whole world, everything I knew and I hated them. I hated Bon and Koneko for just going along with the program like good little drones; they're both smart, you'd think they'd know when they were being fed a load of crap but Bon pins it all on his dad and idolizes the rest of the Myodha and Koneko… Koneko, I don't why he can't see it."

Renzo trailed off, Shiemi waited patiently for him to go on.

"I told you about how Nishiki and I were going to screw with our families by me refusing to swear to Bon and letting her, a Hojo, take my place. Well, it would have ticked off my family to no end, I can tell you that. If I'd gone through with it I wouldn't have had to disown myself, but we swear fealty when we're twenty. That still feels like an eternity even now when I'm seventeen, imagine what it felt like when I was fifteen." Renzo said. "You remember Saburota Todo? The so-call guardian of the Deep-Keep? He came and talked to me right before I signed up for the Academy, about a different way of getting at my family and at everything else I hated. And I listened to him. But after I got to school, got to know you and Izumo and Rin, I started to realize that I didn't really hate everything. I didn't even hate Bon or Koneko." He sighed and shook his head, "Maybe they weren't so blind. Hell, maybe Bon can fix the Myodha. I wouldn't count on it but I wish him luck trying."

Renzo stopped again and sat silently beside Shiemi. They watched the sun set over the gulf.

"I thought I hated everything," he resumed as the lengthening shadows swallowed them. "Hate is the furthest thing from how I feel about you. But it's not so simple as just changing my mind. Because I don't hate you, I'm trying to get out of what I got myself involved with. But you're going to find out about everything before it's done." Renzo slipped his arm out of Shiemi's grasp and stepped away. "I just wanted to warn you first."

As he walked away his voice drifted back to Shiemi. "I'm sorry I'm not a better person."


	5. Dragon's Impasse

**A New Normal**

**Disclaimer:** Characters and premise are the property of Kazue Kato. I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.

**Author's Notes:** In writing fanfic for AoE I've ended up stumbling across verses of from the Bible and interpretations of those verses that make me think the earliest books of the Bible have some pretty strange stuff in them.

Genesis 6:4 (NIV) for example: "The Nephilim were on the earth in those days-and also afterward-when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown." So um, angels -debatably angels- or fallen angels at least and humans having children together, in the Bible not AnE... okay. And well, "heroes of old, men of renown" doesn't sound terribly bad to me, but what do I know? The two online essays I read interpreting this verse went on to explain that those hybrid children justify The Flood, because those children were evil/corrupt by birth thus everyone on earth excluding Noah and his family needed to die because they weren't pure humans, but were polluted by the blood of those fallen angels who took human wives. One of those essays goes on use Nephilim to explain away Deuteronomy 7:2-3 (NIV) "and when the Lord, your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy. Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons." According to this essay the Philistines were descended from Noah's son Ham whose wife probably had Nephilim blood and so destroying an entire people was justified.

If you're still along for the ride after my earlier stories in this fandom you've probably figured out that I am thoroughly a believer in nurture over nature: If you're sufficiently sentient to understand the difference between good and evil, you're capable of choosing to be good. I don't believe people are born evil and when writing in a fantasy world like AnE 'people' translates to anyone capable of rational thought. If the fallen angels had sufficient free will to chose to be evil (aka have sex with humans), I can't understand how their children would lack the free will to chose to be good (err, um, chose to behave in such a way as to not deserve death).

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four: Dragon's Impasse<strong>

Rin used his flames to pass a pebble from hand to hand. As his confidence increased he switched to three fist-sized stones and tried juggling them. For several minutes everything seemed to be going well, then the stones caught fire. "K'so!" Rin exclaimed tossing the stones away from him. His agitation only increased the intensity of the flames and the stones burned to nothing before they hit the ground.

"You still look at your flames as something alien, something evil," Ucchusma lectured. "Until you accept them as a part of yourself any lapse in concentration will result in disaster. As long as you see your flames as a malevolent force to be leashed, that is what they will be."

"I'm trying," Rin sighed. "But what isn't that what they are?"

Ucchusma tilted his head to the side and peered at Rin curiously. "You make of your flames more than they are; attribute sentience and willfulness to them where they are only an extension of yourself. At the same time you simplify people; good or evil, demon or angel. You insist on believing that your father is nothing more, or less, than evil incarnate and that anything even vaguely tied to him must be the same. And yet, the holy book you profess to believe tells you he was once an angel. You inherited Satan's genetics, not his choices or experiences."

"The devil is my father, it's pretty hard not to worry about what that makes me," Rin said. He went back to working with his flames for several minutes, scowling in fierce concentration to avoid more conversation.

"Enough for today," Ucchusma decided.

Rin let his flames vanish, he started back down the mountain then stopped. "Ucchusma, um, how do I rank in the Flame Kingdom?"

"You are a Prince of Hell," Ucchusma stated. "By right of birth, you rank just below the Eight Kings. However given that you are hardly more than an infant and have little practice in using your flames, your power is closer to a viscount's."

"Oh," Rin said. After a moment he asked. "Is that good or bad?"

"The longer a demon lives the more power they accumulate. The youngest demon viscount is two hundred and fifty years old," Ucchusma replied. " That is very good."

* * *

><p>Several days later Izumo let herself into the kitchen at the Ryokan. She leaned against the free-standing counter in the center of the room and watched Rin work. "Need anything chopped?" she asked after a bit. "I'm almost competent at that now."<p>

"Well, if you're only almost competent, I should help you," Rin suggested, he tried to keep a serious expression on his face but couldn't help grinning.

Izumo looked thoughtful. "I suppose a little more instruction wouldn't hurt."

Rin put the cutting board and a plate of chicken in front of her. Then, stepping around behind her, he put the knife in her hands and wrapped his arms around her to guide her movements. "It is _very _important that everything is exactly even," he told her. "You need to be completely certain before I let you do this for yourself."

Izumo snuggled back into his chest. She considered making more of an effort to be distracting but decided against it. Even after the Kyoto Exorcists had recovered from their injuries and Suguro Torako had reopened the Ryoken to paying customers she'd let Rin continue running the kitchen. Doing a good job of it was something Rin took pride in.

After they finished chopping up the chicken, Rin produced a bag of skewers. "I thought you were making curry tonight," Izumo commented.

"Bon doesn't like curry," Rin said as if that explained everything that needed saying.

Izumo scowled.

"Did you want curry?" Rin worried.

"I don't care, you're doing all the work." Izumo gave him a small smile. "Everything you make tastes great anyway. But what does it matter whether or not Suguro likes something? He's not the only one eating and he's certainly not doing anything to help."

"Bon's helping lots," Rin protested, he leaned over Izumo's shoulder and grinned sneakily, "He's staying out of the kitchen."

Izumo smirked at that. "What'd he do this time?"

"All he did was open one of the cupboards," Rin sighed as he stepped away from Izumo. "Half a dozen plates and glasses fell out and broke. His mom made him promise that he wouldn't try to help in here anymore. She said he could take my turn cleaning the bathrooms instead."

"That sounds fair," Izumo snickered.

Rin frowned, "I really think Bon might be cursed. We're Exorcists, we could check for something like that right?"

Izumo shrugged, "I've never heard of a curse that makes you a walking disaster when you get within ten feet of stove. Maybe he's just naturally clumsy."

"It could be a curse," Rin insisted.

"You and Suguro have a mission in the morning don't you?" Izumo asked changing the subject.

"With Archknight Wang," Rin confirmed. "Bon's been staying up all night memorizing the new verses he sent. I guess I'm mostly supposed to act like some big-shot in the Flame Kingdom and order the dragon around." He chewed at his lower lip. "I don't know what plan B is if it won't listen to me."

"Maybe they want you to focus on making it listen," Izumo suggested. "It would be a lot better if you didn't have to fight."

"I guess," Rin said. "I'll just have to try."

* * *

><p>The next morning Rin and Bon gated to the True Cross Academy and met up with the rest of Wang Zi's team; two dragoons, three knights and six Arias in addition to Wang himself; shortly before dawn. Bon noted that the lowest ranked Exorcists among the twelve was a upper second class Aria who's pin indicated that he was also ranked as a Doctor.<p>

"No Tamers?" Rin asked.

"Tamers capable of summoning a familiar that wouldn't run at the sight of a dragon are rare," Wang replied as the team found their seats in a pair of the Order's van.

As the vans wound their way through Tokyo and up the slope of Mount Kumotori most of the Exorcists leaned back in their seats and napped until they reached the bus stop below the Sanjo no Yu mountain hut and it's hot spring. "Heated by the dragon's breath," Wang told them as they made their way around to the back of the building, then ventured into the surrounding forest.

After thirty minutes of hiking they came to the mouth of a cave. The Exorcists paused for a few minutes to retrieve spelunkers' hardhats from their gear. Once inside the cave they were forced to walk in single file as they wound their way down into the mountain's heart. As they progressed deeper and deeper into the mountain the left side of the path opened up into a gaping chasm, a golden glow emanated from the depths.

Wang held up his hand for the team to stop once they'd descended five hundred meters into the mountain's heart. He gestured for Rin and Bon to follow him down a side tunnel. "We're still thirty meters above the nest," he told them, "but you should see what we're up against. Talking to the dragon won't have a chance of success if you're in awe of her."

The golden glow grew stronger until they were leaning over the edge of a precipice, peering down into the cavern below. Rin's eyes popped at his first sight of the dragon. It was larger than a bus with thick, powerful legs terminating in four claws, each one as long as Rin was tall. It's body was thick with muscle and covered in heavy, burnished bronze scales which overlapped each other like platemail. It's long neck supported a massive skull; broad with a blunt muzzle and a wide fang-filled maw large enough to swallow a horse in a single gulp. A dozen horns flared around the back of it's head like a mane, shielding the back of its neck from attack. A long sinuous tail curled around it's body. Leathery wings sprouted from it's shoulder blades but Rin couldn't imagine them lifting such a creature into the air.

"Only the young ones fly," Wang supplied, reading Rin's thoughts from his face. "In their first millennium they are active. They search each other out to mate or to battle, they ravage the land hunting for food and treasure. And then the females migrate. After finding a suitable location they will hibernate for centuries, soaking in the energy of the mountain where they sleep, growing ever more massive, until they wake and lay their eggs." He gestured to a shallow depression between the dragon's front paws. The depression was filled with molten gold, a dozen watermelon-sized eggs floated in the glowing liquid. A pile of discarded gems lay near by. "Most likely this one has been sleeping under this mountain for the last five hundred years. She isn't the problem, her life-cycle is almost done. Once the eggs hatch she will return to her sleep, her body slowly petrifying until she is a part of the mountain. The problem is the eggs."

"You said our mission is to relocate the dragon and her nest?" Bon asked. "Won't the same thing happen where ever we put them?"

Wang shook his head. "The Order has prepared a reserve for the young dragons." Then the Archknight grimaced, "In the last two years almost all of the Order's Peg Lanterns in Japan were killed."

Rin and Bon nodded remembering the Exwire Exam they'd helped proctor.

"Currently we're having to import our holy ashes from Hawaii," Wang continued. "Pele's ashes are more powerful than a Peg Lantern's, but even when we cut them with normal ashes the supply is still being stretched thin. If the young dragons could be tamed they could become a new source of holy ashes."

As they spoke the glowing molten gold began to dim and the dragon bent it's head to breath a puff of fire over her nest, restoring the temperature.

"So I have to talk her into going to this reserve without putting up a fight," Rin said.

"You have to order her to allow us to move her," Wang corrected. "The dragon won't obey you because of reason, only because the strength of your flames makes you dominant."

Rin grimaced but nodded. They backed away from the edge and completed their descent. Wang's team pulled on camouflage cloaks and spread out around the perimeter of the large cavern containing the dragon and her nest.

"Ready?" Wang asked Rin.

Rin nodded and the Aria-adept turned to Bon. "Let us begin," he said. He tapped one heel, setting a cadance. When he began chanting Bon quickly fell into rhythm with him, weaving an impenetrable barrier between them.

Rin stepped out in front of the two Arias as they approached the dragon. "Um, hey," he called.

The dragon swung it's great head around and negligently spat a ball of fire at them. It broke on the Arias' shield.

In response Rin cloaked himself in his own flames, he frowned at the dragon. "You! Listen to me! You can't have your nest here, you have to move!"

Rin's flames captured the dragon's full attention, "Lord Satan's treasonous child," the Dragon rumbled.

Rin bared his fangs at that, his flames intensifying in response to his anger, "Father Fujimoto Shiro is my dad, not the monster that murdered him," he snapped. Then he took a deep breath, "Look, we don't want to fight you, but you can't have your kids here. They'll cause too much trouble. The True Cross has a place set up where they'll be safe and won't do any harm to anyone else."

The dragon breathed another burst of flames over her eggs. "My children will be strong and fierce. The humans will quail before them and Iblis will be pleased. They will lay waste to this land. Even from my cave, I see the huge castles the humans of this age have constructed, but they will find no shelter. My children's flames will melt their towers of glass and steel, reduced them to blacken husks and teach them humility once again. It will be glorious, why would I do anything to prevent the coming carnage?"

"Because I said so!" Rin growled as he drew Kurikara.

"I care not what a stripling cowering behind an Exorcist's shield says, even if you do harbor the blue flames of Lord Satan," the dragon dismissed Rin.

Wang put a hand on Rin's shoulder, a pre-arranged signal to pull back. The older exorcist shrugged, 'It was worth trying,' his eyes said. 'But it's not the only way.'

Stubbornly Rin shrugged off Wang's hand and stepped forward raising his sword. "Maybe you don't care about what happens to Tokyo, but I do. If your kids hatch here and try to hurt my city, I'll stop 'em, whatever it takes. Even if you don't care about what happens to Assiah, you care about your kids right?"

The burst of fire the dragon sent in return was a dozen times stronger than her earlier blast. Even thru the Arias' shield the air shimmered with heat haze. Bon raised a hand in an instinctive need to protect himself. Sweat broke out on Wang's forehead but otherwise he refused to acknowledge the intense flames completely engulfing their shield.

Rin sensed the dragon's tail moving through the flames. He drew his wakizashi and wrapped his flames around the blade, hardening them as he did for Ucchusma's pebble exercises. Then he leapt into the flames. When the dragon-fire cleared Rin stood in front of Bon and Wang with swords crossed, blocking the dragon's tail. He pressed forward, Kurikara slid along the blade of the wakizashi like a lop-sided pair of scissors and sliced off the last few feet of the dragon's tail. The dragon roared in pain and outrage as it spewed white hot flames across the cave.

"Okumura, fall back," Wang ordered.

Rin ignored him and charged. The dragon tried to crush Rin under one of her massive front feet. Rin dodged the blow by inches then leapt on top of the clawed foot.

"Suguro, call him back," Wang ordered.

Bon shook his head, his eyes were wild and he clenched his fists tightly. He was torn between not violating Rin's will and the fear that the Archknight knew better; that forcing Rin to follow orders was in Rin's best interest.

Rin sheathed the wakizashi and used his free hand to pull himself up to the dragon's elbow. He wished he could sheath Kurikara as well without sealing his heart to have both hands free for climbing.

"Arthur's going to kill me," Wang muttered. Then he shouted. "Dragoons target the eyes. Knights, harassment, don't let it focus on Okumura. Arias One, protect your knights. Arias Two, containment!"

The dragon stomped it's foot trying to shake Rin off. He formed his flames into climbing claws around his free hand and feet and continued scrambling up the dragon's foreleg. The dragon swung her head around and snapped at Rin only to pull back as the two dragoons on the team peppered her face with holy water shot.

"Rin's flames are burning through my shields faster than the dragon-fire," Bon exclaimed. "I can't protect him."

Wang dropped his chant for a moment, "Help me muzzle her," he said. Bon nodded and switched to a chant for a physical barrier rather than one to protect against flames. He and Wang wrapped their barriers around the dragon's mouth, forcing it shut.

The other two knights hacked at the dragon's legs and lashing tail. They did little damage but prevented the dragon from using her tail against Rin.

Rin clawed his way up onto the dragon's back. She reared back on her hind legs, beating the air with her wings. Rin flattened himself against her scales and dug his claws in to keep from being ripped off by the winds.

The second Aria team succeeding in pulling the dragon back down on all four legs. She shook her head angrily, small gouts of fire escaped through the corners of her mouth giving evidence to Bon and Wang's effectiveness. As her head swung around, Rin took a chance and leapt from her back to her snout. He used his flames to push himself further than he could naturally jump in an imitation of Angel's trick with Eligor. The dragon threw her head back viscously. Rin dug his claws in, his tail countering the movements of her head to help maintain his precarious perch as he leveled Kurikara at the dragon's eye. "I'm giving you one last chance," Rin snarled. "I don't want to take your eggs' parent away from them but you won't be allowed to raise them to attack Assiah. For their sake, let us relocate you!"

Straining against the Exorcists' restraints the dragon shifted her weight so that she was over her nest. "I'll crush them myself before I let them be turned into traitors by the True Cross," she snarled through her forcibly shut teeth.

"There's gotta be something we can all live with," Rin argued. He glanced over his shoulder toward Wang. "Don't you know the verse for Dragons? Can't we just send them back to Gehenna or something?"

Wang glanced at Bon. The younger Aria nodded, he could hold their muzzle on his own for a time.

"There is no fatal verse for dragons," Wang said. "They're a half-breed species. Eons ago, the original dragons possessed Assiah lizards, but once they were here they bred. All modern dragons are born of Gehenna but born in Assiah. They have one foot in each world; fatal verses won't work on them anymore than it would on you." He hesitated for a moment, knowing the next thing he would say would only make Rin's choices harder. "No one knows what happens to a dragon when they are killed."

The dragons' eye; nearly as tall as Rin himself; narrowed as she evaluated at him. "Open a portal," she offered after a time. "There are none more adept than the King of Time in the creation portals. Open a portal into Gehenna then I will take my eggs and leave Assiah. I don't know what they will be if they hatch in Gehenna, but I will take that uncertainty over allowing them to be used against their own by the True Cross. Now release my jaw before my eggs freeze."

"Swear that you will surrender to my team and I will contact Sir Pheles," Wang demanded.

"I will surrender to the Wielder of the Blue Flame, none other," the Dragon bartered. "Him I can trust to ensure that your end of the bargain is kept."

"I can't speak for Mephisto," Rin said.

"No, but you can give me your word that you will see that the King of Time opens the portal for me," the dragon replied. "He will either comply... or you will suffer for his refusal."

"Okay," Rin agreed.

* * *

><p>Under the dragon's watchful eye a team of Exorcists in hazmat gear carefully transferred the eggs and molten gold into a heavy steel mining cart. Once they were done Mephisto pointed his umbrella at the far wall of the cave and used it to circumscribe a large circle. Swirling blackness followed the point of Mephisto's umbrella, the black mist gradually drew back to reveal a passageway to a red-lit hell. A thick river of malevolently glowing magma slowly wound down the center of a narrow, desolate valley. The floor of the valley was littered with sharp-edged chunks of obsidian, and the steep walls were jagged basalt. The dragon sighed happily at the sight of it, "Beautiful," she declared.<p>

The Exorcists pushed the cart through the portal then the dragon squeezed through. She had to flatten her wings against her back and suck in her belly to fit through. For a moment, as the dragon's bulk forced the portal to open a bit wider, a look of strain crossed Mephisto's face.

"A lovely corner of Muspelheim. I thought of it the moment I heard you were looking for a new home. It's a realm which exists between Gehenna and Assiah, much like yourself," he said sounding like a realtor about to close a sale. "All of the native gods have long since retired to the walls. I sincerely doubt anyone will bother you or your children here. I doubt any but I could find their way to this place… or out of it," he finished with a grin.

The dragon meandered around the valley for several minutes while the Exorcists watched the portal nervously for any signs of shrinkage. Eventually the dragon found a recessed cranny, sufficiently sheltered for her purposes. She dug a shallow depression in the rocky floor then used the rough scales on the side of her paw to polish it smooth. The Exorcists dragged over a chest of Spanish doubloons and emptied it into the pit. A few blasts of flame and the coins were a glowing soup. Then, the Exorcists carefully ladled the eggs out of the mining cart and into their new nest.

As soon as they were finished the Exorcists hurried back through Mephisto's portal.

"I should collect a debt from you for this favor," Mephisto told Rin as he allowed the portal to collapse. "But you'll suffer for your good deed without any assistance from me, little brother."

"But I did what they wanted," Rin protested. "Yeah, the Order would have liked it if the baby dragons ended up making holy ashes for them but the important thing is that they won't be able to hurt Assiah from here. We got that done didn't we?"

"The hatchlings will have what they need without causing harm to anyone in Assiah," Mephisto confirmed. Then he grinned slyly. "There _should_ have been no way of completing this mission without slaying the mother dragon. At best Archknight Wang might have saved the eggs, the Order might have had the ability to successfully incubate them and when the young dragons hatched they might have been malleable enough to turn to Assiah's cause… Of course no one said as much. It sounds rather ugly when your mission is to kill a mother so that her children can be raised to oppose her kin." Mephisto shrugged carelessly. "Even when you say it is for the good of mankind it still sounds ugly; nothing the righteous should lower themselves to."

"That wasn't our mission!" Rin protested. "Nobody said anything like that."

"As I said, no one would," Mephisto replied. "Quite truthfully, I'm rather fond of the current crop of Archknights and our Paladin; they're an arrogant bunch, secure in their own power and unafraid of what they might face."

Rin looked confused.

Mephisto laughed. "They aren't afraid. Even the ones who have had bad experiences with Gehenna weren't too badly scarred. They are motivated by genuine love for Assiah, not fear or vengeance. Oh, I aggravate both Angel and Wang; I'm afraid it's completely irreconcilable, they love rules almost as much as I love breaking them; but even those two I quite like. Tereza, Lightning and Oakley-san aren't such sticks-in-the-mud, I assure you. All five of them will adore you; you and Suguro-kun are so cute, so sincere, determined and idealistic, they won't be able to resist." Rin wrinkled his nose at being called cute. Mephisto smiled evilly and made as if to pinch Rin's cheek. Rin bared his teeth as he ducked away from Mephisto's hand. Mephisto settled for patting the irritated boy on the head.

"Archknight Wang knew the mission had to be done, that the hatchlings couldn't be allowed to run riot so near Tokyo, but most likely he never allowed himself think about how this mission would have to end," Mephisto continued. "Still the moment he saw a chance to change the outcome he subconsciously knew was coming, he jumped on it." He spread his arms wide, embracing the world. "Humans have a curious tendency of wanting to be better than they are. Sometimes they even succeed at it. It's one of the things that makes them so endlessly fascinating."

Rin smiled a bit, it was reassuring to hear Mephisto praise humanity.

"But even though the Grigori could not bring themselves to say what they actually wanted, they will be unhappy at not getting it." Mephisto threw back his head and laughed uproariously. "You, my dear little brother, will aggravate those who require a world of rules in an entirely different way than I do. They do not _like _me, but they expect me; even in my shattering of their rules I conform to their expectations. You they will not expect and the best of them won't be able to help liking you. You are already making a mess of the Paladin's prejudices." He leaned down to whisper in Rin's ear. "For the experiences they share Angel cannot hold Lightning's birth against him. But Lightning doesn't challenge his beliefs because, while he is unquestionably Angel's, he is also every bit as ruthless as I am. You, on the other hand, are kind. Kindness is rare quality, particularly in a demon."

Rin flushed.

"Demons-born are taught to be distrustful of humans, to retaliate preemptively. Most are old enough to hold grudges for crimes humanity has forgotten committing and those who are not so old have been weaned on those same tales. Part-bloods who awaken fully as demons… Well, you know first hand how agonizing the process of awakening is. I could wish that you held another more responsible for what happened to you, but I must admit, there are advantages that you do not. Because you only hold yourself to blame, you awakened fully as a literal demon without sacrificing your figurative humanity in the process." Mephisto grinned, "I look forward to witnessing the metaphysical crises you will cause as you progress through the Order. But always remember: a person can cast aside their humanity at any time, one doesn't need to grow fangs or a tail in the process."


	6. Summer's End

**A New Normal**

**Disclaimer:** Characters and premise are the property of Kazue Kato. I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.

**Chapter Five: Summer's End**

Rin stuff the last of his clothes into his duffle bag in preparation for the new school term and moving back into the Old Dorm. He supposed, given the gate Mephisto had set up, he and Bon could have continued living in Bon's old room in Kyoto but somehow it seemed more fitting that they go back to school. They'd also decided to take the train back and do a little sightseeing along the way even though the Academy was just on the other side of Bon's closet door.

Bon watched Rin cram his uniform jacket on top of the other crap in the duffle bag and rolled his eyes at the mess Rin called packing. Bon neatly and precisely folded his school uniform and placed it in his bag. Rin grinned, shame-faced, pulled out his clothes and did his best to fold them.

"Ready?" Konekomaru asked poking his head in the door. "The taxi's supposed to be here in a few minutes."

"Almost!" Rin exclaimed hurriedly finishing his repacking.

Bon scanned his bookshelves one last time then added another volume to his bag, "I've been meaning to memorize the Atharva-Veda," he said. Then he turned to Rin, "My mom said you should be sure to talk to her before we left." He added casually, "She's in her office."

Rin headed downstairs and knocked on the door to Torako's office. While he waited for her to open the door Rin shifted nervously from one foot to the other. An endless minute dragged by then Torako opened the door and waved Rin inside. She gestured to the headset she wore, putting a finger to her lips. "Itamae-san?" she asked. "Suguro Torako, I own a Ryokan in the Kyoto area. I just wanted to call and commend you for training a marvelous apprentice."

A brilliant, disbelieving smile split Rin's face.

"It was quite unexpected. My normal chef suddenly became unavailable and Okumura-kun stepped in and filled the gap. Given his age I am astounded at his professionalism and grasp of the intricacies required to manage a large kitchen. For the last month he has been providing three meals a day for an average of thirty people. If he ever needs any references once he completes his apprenticeship please keep me in mind."

Torako and Itamae continued talking for several minutes more while Rin beamed. Once she'd said goodbye Torako laughed gently at Rin's blissful expression. "I don't know what I'd have done without you this last month," she said. "If I didn't know that my son would throw a tantrum I'd be tempted to fire that malingering ass of a chef of mine and hire you on full time."

Rin blushed and started the floor as his tail wriggled happily. Torako resisted the urge to pinch his cheek and squeal "Kawii!" for fear that Rin would simply combust from embarrassment as obviously unaccustomed to praise as he was. Instead Torako went to her desk and took out a check. "Since you've done my chef's work for the last month I think it's only fitting that you get his paycheck," she said tartly.

Rin glanced at the check, his jaw dropped as the amount registered. "Really? That's way more than Mephisto gives me for allowance for a whole term."

"You earned it," Torako replied. She smiled, "Good luck with your fall term… And I'd like you to give some thought to a little notion of mine. You're already a talented chef, I look forward to seeing how you develop. When you and Ryuji are posted here permanently, think about whether or not you've like to take over managing the Ryokan's kitchens, possibly expanding it into a full restaurant."

Rin looked a little giddy at the thought but- "Cooking's just something I'm good at," he said. "I'm Bon's knight and we're going to kick Satan's ass," he said.

"You wouldn't be the only one with two jobs. As Head Priest of the Myodha Ryuji is going to have a number of administrative and spiritual duties competing for his time," Torako pointed out frankly. "You'd be bored standing around watching him have meetings all day and politically it would be wise if Ryuji split bodyguarding duties between you and Renzo-kun… Or Kinzo-kun I suppose," Torako shook her head. "I still can't believe Renzo renounced his family... To point- You shouldn't waste your talents or give up something you obviously love."

"It sounds really great," Rin admitted. "If I could make both things work…"

"Keep up with your apprenticeship, keep finding ways to work in that aspect of yourself, and once you're here I'll help you continue to make your two interests work together," Torako said.

Bon smirked when Rin joined the other three exwires in front of the building grinning from ear to ear.

Then, just as their cab arrived, there was a commotion from behind the Kyoto field office. The four Exwires dropped their bags and took off running. They rounded the corner and saw a small class of younger tamers. Shima Yumi, the youngest of the Shima siblings, was trying to comfort a wailing and badly injured salamander. Their teacher and her classmates were staring in shock.

"What happened?" Bon demanded.

"We were practicing summoning," the instructor said. "Yumi-chan's Hinote was in that condition when he was summoned."

"Bon-oniisan, Hinote's really scared," Yumi exclaimed. "You gotta help her."

Rin frowned. "She says there's something... somethings? big attacking them in Gehenna. She's really glad to be here."

Bon bit his lip. "Okay, the rest of you summon your familiars, they might be in danger too."

Alarmed the children quickly did as Bon ordered. The naga summoned were fine, but the several of the other salamander were injured and one failed to appear at all, much to his young tamer's distress.

Bon turned to the instructor, "Summon as many of the salamander to Assiah as you can," he said.

"I can summon those generally aligned with the Myodha, but not other Tamers' familiars," the man warned.

Bon turned to a small boy from the Hojo family. "Run tell Shima-san what's happening. We need to spread the word as quickly as possible. We have to get all the salamander here ASAP."

"You might be able to do something faster," Konekomaru said to Bon. "Remember the web Rin showed us? You're tied to all of the Myodha and their familiars. You're not their Tamer, I don't think you could _force_ them all to come. But I think you could extend an invitation."

"I'm not a tamer at all," Bon hesitated, then his expression hardened with determination. "Kamiki, give me one of your summoning circles. Rin, I need to borrow Kurikara. It's a symbol for the Myodha, I think I can use it as a focus."

Rin nodded and drew his sword. He planted it blade down between himself and Bon, his flames raging around both himself and the sword. Izumo handed Bon one of her circles. Bon took a deep breath and grabbed the paper and the blade, letting Kurikara split open his palm and spill blood over the circle. "As the descendent of Fukaku, I invite all who are sworn to the Myo-o-Dharani to seek sanctuary!" he declared.

Rin's flames exploded out from the sword in a massive pulse, lending their power to Bon's summons; as it radiated outward it briefly illuminated the Myodha web of alliances. For a moment after the pulse passed out of visual range all was still. Then the air shimmered and twisted like a mirage. Dozens of salamanders materialized all around them.

And above them, in the still distorted air, appeared three more demons. Each of the demons was three meters tall, they had giant, bat-like wings and dark, leathery hides. Long, deadly looking horns sprouted from the sides of their heads. Red-orange flames seemed to leak out of their pores. One of them swooped down and grabbed a salamander, with a grunt of effort, it ripped the familiar in half and callously tossed the pieces aside. Rin snatched up Kurikara and charged, burning with fury at the cold-blooded murder. All three of the demons turned toward Rin, they stared at him with calculating eyes.

"Uke! Mike! We need your help," Izumo called as she pricked her finger and smeared the blood on another of her circles.

"Ifrit," Uke growled on seeing the three. "This is bad."

"I'll try to contain them," Bon said. He summoned Karura. "It's started," the firebird said as he helped to reinforce the barrier Bon threw around the courtyard behind the Order's Kyoto Headquarters.

One of the Ifrit tilted it's head to the side. Looking straight at Rin it reached for another of the salamander. Rin snarled and slashed at its arm. Kurikara sliced deeply into the Ifrit's wrist but stuck as it struck bone. A second Ifrit took a swipe at Rin. With a grunt of effort Rin wrenched Kurikara free and jumped clear. A gout of flame spurted out of the first Ifrit's wound for a few seconds until it scabbed over.

"Salamander won't be any help against things like that," the instructor said, staring at the Ifrit in fear.

"Get them and the kids out of here!" Konekomaru ordered. Yumi, who had already been commanding the healthy salamanders to aid their injured brethren nodded. Konekomaru gave her a grateful smile as she led the retreat.

Meanwhile, Mike and Uke leapt into battle, working together to keep the third Ifrit from joining the other two attacking Rin. Picturing her bells and fans Izumo began the movements of a dance to invite Inari's power to aid them.

Rin twisted out of the path of a potentially bone-shattering kick using his wakizashi to draw another short-lived gout of flames from the offending leg. Then he dove forward, using his flames to push off and avoided being stepped on by the second Ifrit.

Bon sighed with relief when Yumi and her instructor followed the last of the salamander through the backdoor into the Order's headquarters.

"I am free from anger, stubbornness have I ended, On the banks of the river Mahī for one night dwelling, Unroofed is my house, my fire extinguished - Then if it be thy wish, now rain, O sky." Konekomaru chanted. In response the sky darkened and a light rain began to fall.

Bon grimaced and diverted some of his effort to cast a weak shield over Rin.

Mike jumped up and buried his fangs into the Ifrit's leathery wing, his weight dragged it down and Uke took the chance to lunge for it's throat. The Ifrit snarled and smashed the Byakko to the ground. Izumo cried out in alarm. A moment later the Ifrit threw Mike off as well.

Blue and orange flames warred as Rin crossed his wakizashi over Kurikara to block one Ifrit's horns. The second Ifrit raked his back with it's claws. Rin spun and drove Kurikara deep into his attacker's exposed shoulder. With an animalistic snarl he twisted his blade and ripped it upward, severing the Ifrit's arm. But in the process he'd left himself open to the first's attack. At the last moment Rin threw himself on the ground, narrowly evading being skewered by the Ifrit's horns.

Bon dropped his containment barrier altogether; the Ifrits seemed more interested in going after Rin than the salamander anyway; "Karura Flame, Seal of Fire Powder," he shouted and Karura peppered the Ifrit attacking Rin with flame like feathers. The Ifrit bellowed in annoyance but quickly turned it's attention back to Rin. Still the moment of distraction was enough for Rin to roll back to his feet and meet the next attack with his blades.

Uke and Mike pulled themselves back to their feet. Her face determined, Izumo began her dance again.

A number of Myodha knights armed with K'rik staves and tamers accompanied by Naga poured out of the Kyoto field office. The Naga swarmed the Ifrits, trying to crush them in their coils, but it quickly became apparent that the difference in the two species of demons' powers were too great and the Naga retreated. The knights grimly arrayed themselves to support Rin and the two Byakko. The Myo-o-dhari Exorcist sect had developed primarily to protect the people of Kyoto from the ravages of demons of Rot with the Kingdom of Flame as their ally; they were poorly equipped to battle the upper echelons of the Flame Kingdom.

Rin's flames raged around him, his demonic characteristics had gained prominence. He still clung to his swords, desperately, as if they were talismans as much as weapons, not with swordsman's grip. Bon was afraid that Rin was on the verge of going berserk as he had in the forest when Amaimon kidnapped Shiemi the previous summer, but Rin was finally gaining ground against the two Ifrit. Cloaked in blue flames, his wounds healed more quickly and those he inflicted lingered inspite of the Ifrit's regenerative powers.

Suddenly a dozen six-legged creatures swarmed over the courtyard. They were dripping with moss and algae so thick that it was impossible to determine what the creatures underneath truly looked like but a number of twisted horns sprouted from their narrow heads. They latched on to the Ifrit and to Rin, dragging them to the ground. The new demons' dank covering sizzled as they came in contact with their targets' flames but they held their position. The rain Konekomaru had summoned became a torrential downpour. The winds kicked up and spun the water around so it came at the flame demons from all angles. Konekomaru turned and saw the Paladin and a woman, her long red hair whipping around her in the wind and rain, standing between the buildings. At the woman's shoulder crouched a giant frog-faced creature with a long greenish beard and glowing red eyes, it waved its webbed hand and the winds and rain followed its direction.

"What is going on here?" Angel demanded, Caliburn in hand.

"The Myodha salamanders were under attack," Konekomaru explained quickly. "We summoned them to Assiah but the Ifrit came with them."

"Well that's a relief, eh Arthur?" Tamer-adept Durov said. "Better hurry and take care of things; my bukavac almost have them subdued and I know you like a challenge."

Konekomaru looked doubtful at that. The moss covered bukavac weren't retreating but, in his opinion, the Ifrit didn't seem too securely subdued. Rin was also straining powerfully against being restrained.

Angel appraised the situation, "I suppose I should help before your familiars are embarrassed," he said, agreeing with Konekomaru's silent assessment. He walked up to the first of the three Ifrits, then leapt straight up. As he came down he swung Calibur and took off it's head.

Bon went to Rin. He gave the bukavac pinning Rin a wary look as he reached past it to rub the back of Rin's neck. "Look, it's okay," he said. "You need to calm down now." Almost instantly Rin's flames died out and his eyes cleared.

Angel raised a hand to shield his eyes from the rain as he started toward the second Ifrit.

Izumo crouched between Mike and Uke, checking them for any injuries.

With a loud roar the final Ifrit spread it's wings wide, throwing off the bukavac restraining it. It lunged at Rin and Bon. With wide panicky eyes, Rin dragged both himself and the bukavac restraining him into the Ifrit's path to shield Bon. Bon raced through the hand signs for a barrier, knowing that he wouldn't finish in time. Angel sliced off a lock of his hair, "Angel Slash," he shouted. An immense wave of destructive force shot over Rin and Bon's heads and disintegrated the Infrit completely.

While everyone sagged in relief, Angel turned back and finished off the last Ifrit. "I don't know why anyone worries about the two of you getting adequate field time," the Paladin remarked dryly as he cleaned the blood off of Caliburn's blade. "At times like this it seems I could kill more demons if I gave up taking missions from the Grigori and simply followed you two around to deal with whatever trouble you get into."

"You could have a point," Durov remarked as she dismissed her familiars. "Three Ifrit," she shook her head. "It's been over a hundred years since even one was seen in Assiah."

* * *

><p>Angel and Durov gated to Rome. They walked quickly across St. Peter's Square, then let themselves into a small conference room to make their report.<p>

"Has the Son of Satan been dealt with?" Baltazar asked.

"The information presented earlier was incomplete," Angel replied respectfully. "There was a large concentration of demonic power from the Flame Kingdom released at the Kyoto branch, some of it did come from Okumura. However, he had good reason to call on his powers, I saw no need to execute him. The Myodha's familiars were under attack by three Ifrit. The Myodha were unprepared to deal with such an attack; that Okumura was able to hold out as long as he did against three of Iblis' shock troops only serves to prove Sir Pheles' assertation that he has the potential to be a valuable weapon against his father."

"You felt no concern that that the Son of Satan might go berserk?" Baltazar asked.

"Suguro demonstrated a high degree of control over Okumura through their bond," Angel reported.

"The brats made a good choice," Durov added. "You draw on that much demonic power you are going to go a little crazy, but it's nothing to worry about if you've got a good anchor to draw you back to yourself. And even if their bond wasn't tested before hand, the risk was worth it; the Myodha are one of the only Exorcist sects left that reliably produce Tamers with Flame affinity. If the True Cross loses all connection with the Flame Kingdom we won't have the means to check the Kingdom of Rot anymore."

Baltazar frowned, "Tamers are useful certainly, but we don't _need _the help of demons to fulfill our duties to Assiah."

Durov opened her mouth to argue but before she could say anything Angel stomped on her foot. "Okumura is under control and using his powers on the Order's behalf against demons," he reiterated. "Due to his and Suguro's actions the Myodha only lost eight of their Salamander. Twelve more were injured, but Okumura was able to heal even the most severe wounds within hours. And we were able to kill three Ifrit. All around, I consider it a most successful endeavor." Then he bowed and shoved Durov out of the conference room ahead of him.

"What was that for?" Durov demanded. She stood on one foot while rubbing the one Angel had stomped on.

"Tezera, I know you. You were about to blaspheme," Angel stated. "It wouldn't help Okumura's case and it would just start them remarking on how much you look, and act, like one of your Rusalka again."

Durov snorted. "Seventeen years ago, the True Cross had arranged the deaths of half the Tamers sworn to them and almost all of us had lost familiars. Then, through the instrument of the member of the Grigori most antagonistic to us Tamers, God allowed the Blue Night to happen. Not one single Tamer died as a direct result of being possessed by Satan."

"No, but plenty died when other possessed Exorcists killed them," Angel pointed out.

"Holy water, sacred soil, blessed ashes, venerated relics; their power comes from the Lord, but it comes through a demonic intermediary. Gehennans started out as angels, mankind turned them into demons but they're still our connection to the divine. So, it's on us to find some way of turning them back," Durov declared. "God's got better things to do than fix our mistakes."

"Please do not contaminant my ears with your sect's hersey," Angel snapped. Then more quietly, "You can't say things like that here."

"What's anyone going to do?" Durov demanded bitterly. "My brother merging with Veles is what secured their holy water supply. The least they could do would be to admit that." She grimaced, "Lets get out of here, I need a drink."

"What did I do to deserve to be surrounded with such a bunch of miscreants and reprobates?" Angel demanded.

* * *

><p>Early the next morning, Rin slung his duffle bag over his shoulder and picked up Izumo's suitcase. Bon used the key Mephisto had given him to open his closet door, his and Rin's dorm room at the Academy. Instead of sightseeing they'd spent the rest of the day tending to the injured salamander. A small smile turned up the corners of Rin's mouth, at least where salamander were concerned his flames truly were good for something other than destruction. Born of fire, it turned out basking in Rin's flames was the best possible medicine for the injured familiars.<p>

Rin wrinkled his nose at the smell of fresh paint as he and his fellow Exwires stepped through the gate. The four of them followed the smell to the lobby where they found Godain and Mana standing on a scaffold painting the ceiling. "Hey, you guys are back!" Godain exclaimed. "We're done varnishing the floors but you're in time to help us paint."

"When did we get the funds to remodel?" Konekomaru asked.

"Sir Pheles gave us a budget," Mana replied. "Michi-chan figured out that if we would do the painting and varnishing ourselves it was enough to cover paying someone to update the wiring. We got new blinds too."

"Suzuki-kun says he knows how to install them," Godain added. "Which means he'll supervise while the rest of us do the work. The project's taking a little longer than we thought, but by the time we're done this place is going to look as good as any of the other dorms on campus. Plus we've got the garden floor."

"Speaking of, where is Shiemi-chan?" Mana asked.

"She and Shima rescued a couple hundred part-demon kids," Bon replied. "They're still helping to set up a sanctuary for them at Delphi."

Mana and Godain blinked at them in shock. "In Greece?" Mana asked.

"That's the one," Izumo said. "They're probably not coming back."

"Shiemi-chan and Renzo-kun still have their cells. They sounded pretty happy the last time I called," Rin said. "Have you guys heard from Aiko-chan this summer? She said she'd keep in touch."

"Less and less," Mana admitted. "She's pretty absorbed in her studies as a miko."

Ito Sora wandered in from the kitchen wearing paint splattered overalls, "You guys are back. Why don't you grab paintbrushes and get to work while you tell us about what we can look forward to as second year Exwires," he said. "I heard a rumor that you guys pretty much saved all of Kyoto?"

* * *

><p><strong>Notes: <strong>Konekomaru's verse comes from the "Dhaniya Sutta"

Rusalka: Russian river nymphs, they entangle men's legs with their long red hair and drown them.

Veles: Slavic god of water, earth and the Underworld.


	7. Investigating Agendas

**A New Normal**

**Disclaimer:** Characters and premise are the property of Kazue Kato. I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.

**Chapter Six: Investigating Agendas**

Neuhaus examined a damaged area of Shiemi's hedge. A small, green-skinned boy, Yukio's Kermit, followed behind the one-eyed tamer, mimicking his every move. "Fire demon," Neuhaus grunted. The boy's brow furrowed as he leaned in to perform his own inspection then he nodded authoritatively.

"I thought it was just humans who hated us." The former La Llorona who'd brought the damage to Neuhaus' attention wrung her hands. "Now other demons are attacking us too?"

Her merger with one of Gaia's granddaughters had rendered her a Gorgon-type demon. Neuhaus gritted his teeth and forced himself to address the nervous young woman her mannerisms proclaimed her to be rather than the snake-haired monstrosity he saw. "It could be a familiar," he said. "But whoever it was, this was a test more than an attack. Once they figure out Gaia's the real thing chances are we won't see them again."

The girl nodded but her snakes were recoiled and hissing, giving away that she still felt threatened.

Neuhaus sighed. "Take a look around you, girl. There are a lot of people who've come to help. Do yourself a favor, stop thinking humans versus demons. There are humans like the ones at the Facility, but some humans just want to help. Other demons have their own agendas which may or may not coincide with yours."

The girl swallowed and smiled tentatively.

Then Neuhaus glanced back at the rapidly shrinking patch of charred brambles. "There are plenty of assholes around, makes it hard to say where this one comes from," he grumbled. "And we've still got the Peace Corp visit today. This is going to make a fun Council."

He started back toward the buildings, the green skinned four-year-old trailed along behind him. When the path turned rocky Neuhaus stopped and held out a hand, after a moment as small hand slipped into his. When they reached the Apollo Temple, Neuhaus pointed to a small group of children gathered around one of the Jain who'd responded to Hojo Nishiki's call for aid. "Looks like it's story time," Neuhaus told Kermit, giving him a small nudge in the group's direction.

* * *

><p>After he'd finished describing what he'd found at the hedge Neuhaus looked around at the other members of their council. There was the original rescue group: Michelle, Moriyama Shiemi, the Earth King Amaimon, Renzo and the La Llorona represented by Maria. They'd been joined by Echidna and a few representatives of the groups who'd come to help: Tapa Mangal from the Jain, Bhat Sanya from the Hindu and the former Hojo Mamushi had been chosen to speak for the various Buddhist sects.<p>

Neuhaus didn't know how the Hindu and Jain had chosen their spokesperson but the official logic behind Mamaushi's nomination was that with her ties to the Myodha cut she wouldn't favor any sect. Of course it didn't hurt that she had a life time of preparation to serve as both her clan's head and as a member of the Myodha High Council but now she had none of the responsibilities that should have gone with the training. That went without saying because no one really wanted to bring up what she'd lost in trusting the wrong person.

"Should we cancel the Peace Corps visit?" Shiemi asked.

"It's not like we need them," Renzo added. "A few more tweaks and we'll have our own power grid. We've got plenty of water. Shiemi-chan's gardens provide most of the food we need and, I hate to admit it, but Egyn's fishing trap took care of our protein problem. The outhouses aren't ideal; remind me to thank Mephisto for taking out the Visitor Center when he brought Delphi forward sometime; but with Shiemi-chan's demon-fungi for composting they're tolerable."

Amaimon scowled when Renzo failed to mention that their geothermal power would have been impossible without the Earth King's power and ground his teeth at the mention of Egyn. 'Spending time with the kids, he's getting more expressive all the time,' Neuhaus thought. 'I like being able to read him.'

Echidna and Maria were nodding in agreement. "We don't need them," Echidna said. "These visits are nothing more than Trojan Horses for the True Cross to use to infiltrate us."

"Even if they provide little material support, we need the visits to maintain control over our public image," Mangal argued.

"He's right," Neuhaus said. "The media already calls us the Cult of Gaia, it's on us to prove we're not a cult. We're actively trying to place the kids who aren't too badly damaged in normal homes. We allow the visits so we don't look secretive. The perimeter's about providing a secure environment for the kids, it's not because we can't withstand scrutiny. The kids were being abused; five minutes around most of them is enough to prove that; Gaia found out, we answered her call for assistance and rescued them, that's our story. We don't mention who from because the Order of the True Cross has strong ties with every organized religion with exorcists, aka all of them. We get painted as some lunatic cult and the army outside is going to try to get us off their sovereign soil."

"Not that they'd have much success," Michelle said quietly. She turned to Mamushi, Mangal and Sanya, "We understand that you might not want to follow us into open conflict with the True Cross, but if it comes to that we will win. Igor and I were upper first class exorcists. As a demon, I rank as a baroness of the Earth Kingdom. Renzo's Yamantaka is a viscount of the Flame Kingdom. Echidna is a Grand Duchess of the Earth Kingdom; Obizu holds the same rank in the Water Kingdom and I cannot imagine that she wouldn't fight with us. Amaimon is the Earth King." She nodded to Shiemi, "And of course there is Gaia, whose power is off the scale. The Blue Night is the closest any living Exorcists has come to battling a demon in Gaia's class."

"My sisters and I would fight as well," Maria declared fiercely.

"And so would the kids," Neuhaus said flatly. "And that's why we can't let it get to open combat. I am not going to be responsible for leading a bunch of kids and pregnant girls into shoot-out. So, the Peace Corps visit goes ahead as scheduled."

"Everyone be careful to keep all the kids accounted for," Michelle added. "We know some of them have ulterior motives and someone out there is looking to start trouble."

"It could be Saburota Todo," Mamushi said. "I saw him lurking around and with the power he stole from the Myodha he could be behind the damage to the hedge. If it's him, then it's not the True Cross trying to stir things up."

Neuhaus glanced at Renzo and frowned. After a few moments the pink haired boy seemed to notice the dark look being directed at him. He shrugged and grinned in response.

"Just, everyone be careful today," Neuhaus sighed, closing the meeting. "I'm going to go greet our guests."

Before Renzo could leave, Neuhaus grabbed him by the collar. "You didn't mention Saburota Todo was here," he accused once the room had emptied out.

"Mamushi was just dying to make-up for trusting him before," Renzo said without guilt. "Now she's shown us which side she's on and she feels better… Besides, even if Yamantaka did say something about him smelling like Karura, I haven't actually seen him in battle Mamushi has." He slipped out from under Nuehaus' hand, "You're going to be late to greet the Peace Corp and assorted spies if you don't hurry up."

* * *

><p>A small army of Hobgoblins with steaming plates waited just outside the area behind the Apollo temple which had been designated as the cafeteria. A number of the older children eyed the plates eagerly. One particularly brave child started edging closer to the plates. Amaimon glared darkly and the boy scurried back to his place.<p>

The Earth King leapt on top of the long table dominating the courtyard. "I'm supposed to teach you guys table manners," he announced. "First sit AT the table, not on it or beneath it. That's what the benches are for. The hobs will put your plate, with your food ON the table. Don't move it. Eat off of YOUR plate, that's the one in front of YOU. Do NOT eat off your neighbor's plate, not even if they eat slower than you! Ask for seconds if you want more, AFTER you clean your plate. Now everyone find a seat!"

The children milled around for several minutes but eventually everyone found a seat with only a minimal amount of scuffling over who was going to sit where. One little girl, Meda, who had been one of Yukio's test subjects stood behind her chair and glared significantly at Amaimon's boots on the table.

A greenish flush suffused Amaimon's cheeks. "I'm your king, I don't have to follow the rules," he muttered.

"Sing a song of sixpence, pocket full of rye. Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie. When the pie was opened the birds began to sing. Wasn't that a dainty dish to set before the king?" Meda responded.

"Reward words," Amaimon muttered to himself. He hopped off the table and gingerly patted Meda on the head. Looking pleased with herself, the little snake-eyed girl primly took her seat.

At Amaimon's signal the Hobs descended enmass, quickly placing a plate in front of each child. The children devoured their food like starving animals, glaring suspiciously at their neighbors and hunching over their plates defensively. While most of the children didn't speak, Amaimon could pick up on both intentional and accidental telepathic communications:

/Yum yum./

/Is hers better than mine?/

/More!/

/Not hungry now, might be hungry later./

The Earth King and his hobgoblins circled the table, frowning at anyone who tried the break the rules, wrapping the knuckles of anyone caught reaching for plates other than one in front the child in question and trying to minimize the hoarding of food.

Neuhaus paused at the edge of the meadow with their Peace Corps visitors. Some looked on with disapproving expressions, others with looks of shock. Neuhaus made a mental list of who had which reaction and matched it against their list of suspected exorcists. He knew that the hobgoblins were invisible to anyone without a masho, so to some it seemed that the food floated out to the tables of it's own accord.

"How?" One of the braver non-exorcists stammered, apparently less worried than his colleagues about being classified as insane.

Neuhaus smiled. "The Lady Gaia provides. With Gaia's blessing we're already harvesting our own crops, we've got beans and soy planted, recently Egyn gifted us with a source of fish. Still some of the kids have digestive systems that are more carnivore than omnivore, so protein has been one of our larger concerns. Several members of our group are trying to get some chicken coops together but we need to buy the chickens, animals are outside of Gaia's purview."

"Do you expect us to actually believe-" one man began.

"Yeah," Neuhaus cut him off. "A living god walks among us. You can talk to her yourself at three. Gaia is the real deal, the one from the myths. We've been here for a month, we are harvesting fields planted less than four weeks ago, the geothermal activity of the region has shifted to provide for us." His gaze shifted to a cluster of the undisclosed exorcists briefly. "There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of… Or perhaps admitted to. We're screwing with your understanding of the world, I know. I don't particularly care. To survive we've got to use every resource we've got. Gaia's a resource, but even her powers aren't limitless. I mentioned that we could use some funds to buy chickens..."

An older man in a priest's habit grinned slightly at that. Neuhaus blinked, he'd classified the man as an exorcist from his reaction to the hobgoblins.

"We're adopting out the younger kids as soon as we can find good homes, as soon as Gaia approves of the prospective parents. But the older kids, several hundred kids, have been abused for as long as they can remember and they're largely feral. We didn't rescue them just to abandon them. We are setting up infrastructure, organizing the adults who were part of the rescue and those who've answered Gaia's call, Delphi is as self-sufficient as we can make it, but we're not there yet."

"So this place is what? A real world Camp Half-Blood?" one of the group asked.

Neuhaus stared blankly.

The speaker shrugged. "You've said the children are all descended from Gaia, that makes them demi-gods doesn't it?"

"Close enough," Neuhaus allowed.

"What right does your group have to this place, it's a historical site, an important archeological dig-" another began.

"It's dedicated to Gaia," Neuhaus replied. "This land isn't just sacred to her, it's her body. If the Greek government wants to discuss ownership of it with her… well, I wish them good luck. We're doing everything we can to minimize her impact on the land. Ticking her off probably won't help the plant situation."

"Is that a threat?"

"It's a fact," Neuhaus said. "She's a god, being opinionated comes with the territory."

"And what about you?" One of the undeclared exorcists asked. "Aren't you a criminal?"

"I deserted from a paramilitary organization of exorcists that the Vatican runs but won't publically claim when they decided my wife was a golem and should be exorcised as an enemy of the True Cross," Neuhaus said flatly. "If you don't admit demons exist, then there's no reason for an order like the True Cross to exist either so I'm a deserter from a fictional army… Or the people who are telling you I'm a criminal are lying to you."

* * *

><p>After walking the Peace Corp group back to their van, which they'd left at perimeter of the campsites that had sprung up around Delphi, Neuhaus spotted Renzo's pink hair as he made his way back toward the hedge.<p>

Renzo was leaning against an RV, chatting with a small group Neuhaus recognized as members of one of the the more recently arrived wicca covens. The older man frowned when he noticed that Renzo wasn't accompanied by so much as one Hobgoblin. The teen had even given his military escort the slip.

"If he's sneaking out to meet a girl I'll kill him on general principles," Neuhaus muttered as he turned a corner. Momentarily out of sight of his own escort he drove a needle through his shirt, into his side, precisely pricking one of the many summoning circles tattooed on his body. "Formless one, empty skin, come at my call, accept the purpose I provide you," he muttered quickly.

A sloppy, vaguely humanoid figure created of stitched together skins formed. Neuhaus grabbed the thing by it's chin and forced air into it's mouth. The skins seemed to tighten and the creature took on a close approximation of Neuhaus' appearance. "Go back to the compound," he ordered. "Make sure they follow you." Then Neuhaus stepped back into a narrow alley. A few seconds later the soldiers who had been trailing him walked past the mouth of the alley following the demon shapeshifter. Once they were gone Neuhaus doubled back until he could keep a discreet eye on Renzo.

The pink haired teen spoke with the Wicca group for a few more moments then, after glancing around, he took his leave of them. With Neuhaus trailing him, Renzo made his way toward a quiet section of the tent city that existed around Delphi. Neuhaus frowned, his hand hovered near his weapon; Renzo seemed to be picking a route that made following him undetected easy. Back when the boy had been his student, Neuhaus had dismissed him as slacker who took the path of least resistance and didn't put even the minimum amount of effort into anything he did except when it came to girls. But at Rio, when Renzo had taken over command of the rescue mission, he'd seen an entirely different side of the teen; he'd seen someone calculating and ruthless. Neuhaus took the lesson to heart and since then had made a point of never accepting Renzo's surface appearance as the real thing. If it was this easy to follow Renzou, there was a good chance the teen intended to be followed. Neuhaus wondered if it was him or someone else that was supposed to be drawn in.

"One would think you're trying to get mugged, the way you go about things," Todo remarked stepping out of the shadows to confront Renzo. "I thought I taught you more about discretion. Also I distinctly remember telling you to watch the Kamiki girl."

Renzo gave a put upon sigh. "And not to raise suspicions by doing anything unusual. You know, it would be a lot easier if everyone just got together and sorted out what I'm supposed to do. The Myohda want me to protect Bon, but not to be obvious about it so the True Cross doesn't catch on. You Illuminati want me to spy on Izumo-chan, but not to be obvious about it so neither the True Cross nor the Myohda catch on. The True Cross assigned me to partner with Shiemi-chan… Well, since everyone wants me to do what the True Cross tells me to I figured I had to go with Shiemi-chan, I mean what else would her knight do?"

Todo shook his head. "Do people actually buy your act, kid?" he asked.

Renzo grinned, "You look in the mirror lately? You're not old enough to be calling me a kid." Then he dropped the laid-back persona. "Your group wants to restore Lucifer to his former strength and return Satan to Assiah. Well, take a look around: You're betting that Izumo-chan is compatible with Inari, I know Shiemi-chan can and has hosted Gaia. Gaia is acting on Assiah again and if she's less powerful than Satan then I'm bunny-rabbit. It took Gaia less than two months to re-establish herself and your group is still looking for a test case after, what, a couple of decades? More? You never did tell me if you were the historical Illuminati or just using the name... Well, anyway, it seems like you'd want someone on the inside here, taking notes on how things _should_ be done."

Todo studied Renzo for a long time, "What's this 'your group' nonsense, you've sworn loyalty to Lucifer just as plainly as any of us."

Renzo gave Todo a cool look. "My loyalty in return for power. But from where I'm sitting the only power Lucifer has is what we give him. Now I'm sure he's got it all worked out in his head how his followers are going to be lords in the new world he will usher into being… once he wins. I'm sure he feels like he's got his bases covered, but me, I'm not so sanguine about his chances."

"Tell Lucifer that Mephisto is on the move," Renzo stated. "Amaimon is his. Astaroth has fallen and Anubis, who is has sworn neutrality, has taken the Kingdom of Rot; what's left of it. Gaia is back in Assiah and Mephisto is cozying up to her. Unless I miss my guess Okumura Rin, the youngest son of Satan, inheritor of the Blue Flames, has more than enough potential to become a Hell King and he is Mephisto's."

"You think any of that is news to us?" Todo asked blandly.

Renzo shrugged. "If it's not news then you're not interpreting it right: Mephisto is winning. I signed on with you, swore an oath to Lucifer, because I like being on the winning side. But from what I can see, Lucifer can only keep up his end of the bargain IF he's the winner." He gave Todo a sweet smile. "If you're not the winning side you've got nothing on me."

Todo peered at Renzo curiously. "You enjoy gambling your life and soul? That's... Unexpected."

"Don't we all?" Renzo asked. "I just don't see the point in lying to myself. If you can't pick the winning side, you're dead. Other people might like pretending that they've got some cause that makes it all worthwhile, but that's a load of shit. Nothing matters when you're dead."

"I could kill you right now," Todo suggested. "If you're not ours I could see that it doesn't make a speck of difference to you which sides wins."

Renzo shook his head. "You'll never get someone further inside Delphi than I am," he said. "I've let you know that I'll turn on you if you can't pull this off so you I have to stay valuable until I'm sure you're a losing bet. I'm no one's loyal dog, but I am useful. If you're ready to ignore that just because I won't lick your hand like a good puppy then I've no doubt that you'll lose to Mephisto. And in that case I'm dead either way. So get it over with or prove to that Lucifer can get off his ass and do something before Mephisto's completely unassailable."

After Todo had left Neuhaus stepped out of a shadowed doorway.

"Mephisto told me to light a fire under them," Renzo said. "I think that should do it. As a bonus, you can confirm some of the stuff I told Mephisto when I confessed. You agree?"

"Kid, when it comes to your willingness to jump sides, you're a little too convincing," Neuhaus said.

"Why is it that your parents have to be as over the top evil as Rin-kun's before it stops horrifying people when you're not blindly loyal to blood?" Renzo asked. "Maybe Mephisto's the one who's going to sell me on a cause."

"I didn't see it soon enough, but Okumura's loyal to the man who raised him, I can respect that," Neuhaus said. "But you, you're not loyal to anything. And that makes you dangerous."

"Just because you can't figure out what it takes to win my loyalty, you're all nervous," Renzo grinned. Then he sent dark look after Todo, "Well, if you want a hint, assholes who hurt kids just for the hell of it don't have what it takes."

* * *

><p><strong>Note: <strong>An early update, then I'll be busy for a while. So Happy New Year everyone.


	8. Beloved Siblings

**A New Normal**

**Disclaimer:** Characters and premise are the property of Kazue Kato. I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.

**Chapter Seven: Beloved Siblings**

Sunday afternoon Izumo stepped back to survey the new paint job in the third floor lobby with satisfaction. "That should do it."

Rin nodded. "We did a good job. Once it's dry the other guys and I can start hauling up the bookshelves. Then we'll have our own library. We can unpack those boxes of rare books the junior class scored this summer and Bon can finally stop salivating over them."

Izumo frowned at the mention of Bon's name.

"Bon and Konekomaru and probably Mana-chan too, I heard she's going for Aria," Rin corrected himself. Then he stepped up behind Izumo and wrapped his arms around her waist, nuzzling the side of her neck. "Everyone else is busy and it's been days and days," he pointed out.

"Not in here," Izumo protested, flushing. "Anyone could walk in. Besides, if the smell of the paint bothers me, it must bother you. Lets go to my room, Paku volunteered to help stage this year's Fall Festival, they have a meeting tonight so she won't be back until late."

"Your room?" Rin squeaked, his eyes went wide.

Izumo grabbed his hand, her cheeks were cherry red as she unlocked her door and pulled him inside. "It's not like we're going any further than before," she insisted. "It's just a room." She locked the door and put the chain on, just in case Paku came back early.

Rin stood in the middle of the room, hands at his sides as if he were afraid to touch anything or sit anywhere. Izumo glanced at her bed then pulled out her desk chair for him. With no place convenient to sit herself, Izumo hopped up on the desk. Rin scooted the chair closer and she leaned down to kiss him.

Sitting like that, the height difference between them forced Rin to stretch up and Izumo to bend over awkwardly. Izumo braced her forearms against Rin's chest and leaned into him. Rin's lips were chapped and slightly rough, his mouth was stained red and Izumo could faintly taste the cherry popsicle he'd eaten earlier. She scooted forward, to the edge of the desk. Rin put his hands on her hips, supporting her as she leaned into him. She edged forward a bit more, liking the way Rin's strength made her feel weightless as he steadied her precarious perch.

After a few minutes of kissing, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world for Izumo to slide off the desk altogether and into Rin's lap, straddling the chair. Rin ran his hands up and down her back, urging Izumo to press herself more closely against him. Izumo pulled her legs up, tucking them alongside Rin's thighs on the edges of the chair.

Rin's hands slid down to cup her butt and Izumo gasped as it pressed her core against his growing hardness. Before he could retreat, Izumo licked at Rin's lips. She tangled her fingers in his hair as she deepened the kiss. Rin's breath came in irregular pants and huffs as he tried to control his body's reaction to Izumo pressing up against him, her scent and heat surrounding him. Izumo's fingers found their way under the collar of Rin's shirt. She traced the column of his neck until her thumbs were rubbing circles over the ridge of his collar bone. Rin's pulse raced under her fingers.

Izumo could feel herself becoming wet as Rin squirmed beneath her, she could feel him hard against her. Rin started to push her away, like he had every other time they made out. Izumo pressed herself closer to him, "I like it," she whispered, burying her face against Rin's neck so he couldn't see how red her face was. "I like feeling that I-I turn you on. That I'm not funny-looking to you or that crazy girl. It feels good that you want me."

Rin shivered and clutched Izumo against him, "How can you want me? I'm-"

Izumo claimed his mouth before Rin could repeat any of the negative things he'd been taught to believe about himself. Rin's hands slid up her back, Izumo's shirt had come untucked, they both gasped as his fingers her bared midriff.

They kissed until they were both dizzy from the lack of oxygen. Izumo sat back, staring down at Rin, his head tipped back, eyes dark with lust, mouth open, chest heaving as he panted for air. No one was going to walk in and catch them.

Once she had her breath back, Izumo kissed Rin again, her tongue darting out to taste his mouth. He groaned and pressed up against her. They continued kissing from several minutes more. Izumo felt like there needed to be some sort of conclusion. She licked her lips and reached for the button to Rin's pants.

"No," Rin said, suddenly fearful. He lifted her back on to the desk and scooted away, the chair legs screeching against the title floor.

Izumo pressed her legs together and smoothed her shirt down feeling ashamed how forward she'd been. Rin looked like he'd had a bucket of ice water dumped on him. For several moments they sat there, not looking at each other.

"I don't want to hurt you," Rin mumbled.

"What?" Izumo exclaimed.

Rin flinched.

"How would you hurt me?" Izumo demanded recovering her poise.

Staring at the wall to Izumo's left, Rin turned up his hands, as if reaching for the words he couldn't quite find. "People say bad stuff about girls who um… and I'm..."

"And guys brag about how far they go," Izumo stated. "Double standards are stupid. Don't worry about anyone but us."

"How can I?" Rin exclaimed. "The Order burned my mom for getting pregnant with me. What if they hurt you for being with me?"

Izumo flushed. "I absolutely wasn't going to do anything that could get me pregnant," she said. Then she sighed, "I should tell you."

At her tone, Rin looked at her worriedly.

Izumo slid off the desk and walked over to the window.

"I have a little sister," Izumo said, leaning her forehead against the glass. "Out there, somewhere. I'm responsible for her. I can't risk anything that would get in the way of finding her, of making sure she's okay. Tsukumo's just a baby and I let them take her away."

"Who?" Rin asked, getting up to follow her. "What can I do to help?"

"Nothing," Izumo bit her lip. "I shouldn't have told you. You can't do anything and I can't tell you anything else. If they get mad, they'll hurt Tsukumo. This is my responsibility, but you should know why. I don't know what sort of stupidity the Order thinks because of who your father is, but I'll stop us from going that far because I have to put Tsukumo above everything else until she's safe and happy."

"I understand," Rin said. "You have to take care of your family, I understand that." He grimaced. "When the Order tried to burn my mom, that was the Blue Night. I ought to hate Satan for the Blue Night, everyone else does, but he was trying to rescue my mom. Even if I'm sure he was just using her, the Order was gonna burn my mom at the stake and Satan rescued her. But the Myodha weren't even a part of the Order then and he killed Konekomaru's parents and Professor Neuhaus' family. I don't know what to think."

"Does it matter?" Izumo asked. "Maybe he was using her and didn't care who got hurt to keep his plans from being upset. That he came after you all these years later sort of points to that. Or he loved her and he didn't care who got hurt saving her; you don't have to be a good person to fall in love.

For several moments Rin silently chewed on his lower lip. "No," he said. "Even if he was just trying to protect my mom that night; he's Satan, evil. Bon and I, we're going to defeat him."

They stood together silently for a long time, then Izumo whispered. "I don't know what I'm going to have to do to save Tsukumo. I don't want to hurt anyone except the people who took her." Izumo's expression twisted. "Them? If I have the chance, I'll cut their throats as they sleep," she snarled. "But if I have to, to save Tsukumo… Our mother, she was never there for us. I always looked out for Tsukumo, she was so little. I can't be like my mother. I can't let her down too. Tsukumo's my baby sister, I won't leave her with no one to depend on."

"Let me help you," Rin said. "Whatever I can, whatever you need, let me help."

Slowly, hesitantly, Izumo nodded and Rin closed the gap between them. They stood together, staring out into the night until Paku came back from her meeting and found the door latched then teased Izumo unmercifully as Rin retreated downstairs.

* * *

><p>At four forty, on the first day of class in the new term, Rin rolled out of bed eager to start the day. He glanced over at Bon's side of the room then snickered. "Well, at least you've got the sense to read in bed instead of trying to sit up all night," he whispered as he picked up the open book resting on Bon's face and put it on the nightstand beside the other boy's alarm clock after carefully marking the page. Later, as he slipped out the door into the pre-dawn morning, it hit Rin that he'd thought about Yukio, tangentially at least, without feeling guilt or pain.<p>

"Hi guys!" Rin called as he let himself into the Academy's kitchen and traded his school jacket for a chef's smock.

"Welcome back," Itamae shouted from deeper in the kitchen. "I hear you had a productive summer."

"It was really cool being in charge of a kitchen," Rin admitted.

"Well then, you should be ready to learn how to make a souffle," Itamae said. "Ukobach started practice a week ago."

The little demon looked up from his counter and grinned at Rin challengingly.

Rin gulped, then smiled, "Bring it on."

Several hours later, Godain stopped by to give Rin his backpack. "There's always tomorrow," he overheard Itamae console Rin in a teasing tone.

"See you in math," Godain said as he turned to go.

"Yeah. Thanks," Rin said hefting the backpack. Then he ducked his head in embarrassment, "I can't believe I forgot this."

After his half-day of standard academics Rin joined the three second year Exwires for there Demonology class. Adachi-sensei looked from the four filled seats in his classroom to the clock and frowned.

"We're it," Bon said. "Shima and Moriyama aren't looking to join the True Cross anymore. I figured you would have heard."

"Sir Pheles' notion of priority can be unique," Adachi sighed. "We spent our last staff meeting writing letters to one of the networks protesting the removal of his favorite character from one of his anime, apparently the lost of two of his students didn't rate."

Izumo rolled her eyes, Konekomaru covered his face, Bon sighed and Rin snickered. None of the Exwires were particularly shocked by Mephisto's behavior anymore.

"Well, if that's the case get out your texts," Adachi continued. "We will be continuing our studies of the so-called pagan 'gods' from last term. Review your Roman, Greek and Norse gods from last term, they will be on the final. This term we will be adding Egyptian, Slavic, and Polynesian mythologies. These are particularly important as Anubis is the current King of Rot, replacing Astaroth. Pele and Veles are also very important as they-"

The door slammed open. "Okumura! Suguro! Gather your gear and meet me at the Administration building. You have fifteen minutes," Angel ordered. He gave Adachi a perfunctory nod. "Apologies, time is of the essence."

Bon and Rin shoved their chairs back and ran.

"Suguro, any practice with rifles?" Angel called after the boys.

Bon wrinkled his nose in disgust, "I'm better with my Walther."

"Not enough range."

"I've worked a little with a Blaser," Bon admitted. "But I don't like sniper rifles."

Angel was already typing a message into his cell phone. "There will be one waiting for you." He glanced at Adachi, "I'll have them back by Wednesday morning. Let their other instructors know they are excused from class."

Adachi glanced over his remaining two students. "We'll have a study hall today," he decided.

* * *

><p>Rin and Bon arrived at the Administration building with minutes to spare. Angel, Tamer-Adept Durov and Dragoon-Adept Oakley met them at Angel's office. "What's our mission?" Bon asked.<p>

"Pele is under attack by Monadalkni," Angel said as he flipped through his keyring to produce a large golden key. He inserted it into the lock and opened the door onto a hallway lined with marble columns. Oakley handed each of the boys a large, heavy box to carry.

The moment the five of them walked through the doorway Rin noticed a change in the humidity and the smell of the air. "Where are we?" he asked.

"Rome," Angel said.

Rin gapped and stared around with wide-eyed wonder as Angel strode down the hall with a purposeful stride. Bon shook his head fondly and grabbed Rin's elbow, hauling him along as Rin continued trying to take in the sights.

"We are about to intervene in a battle between two so-called volcano gods in the middle of a volcano. This will require special preparation," Angel declared. Then he noticed that Rin was paying much more attention to the artwork lining the walls than to him and promptly thwacked the back of Rin's head. "This is a mission, not a sightseeing expedition!" he scolded.

Rin looked properly chastised but Bon still caught him stealing glances at their surroundings as Angel led them through St. Peter's Basilica, down innumerable flights of stairs to the catacombs then lower still. They paused for a moment to pick up lanterns then continued their descent.

The stairs terminated in a vast grotto, a cool blue glow emanating from deep, deep below the surface of the water illuminated the underground lake. Durov stepped forward. She took a small paper boat out of her coat, Rin and Bon caught a quick glimpse of the runes drawn on the paper before Durov pricked her finger with a pin and pressed the drop of blood to the paper. "Veles, brother, I am here, come to me," she entreated as she pushed the boat out into the water.

"You can set down the munitions boxes," Oakley said. "Veles will keep us waiting for a while, to remind us who he is if for no other reason.

Bon sighed with relief as he set the heavy box down. Rin easily stacked his box on top of Bon's then wandered toward the water's edge, peering curiously into the gloom, trying to see the lake's far side through the colorful stalactites hanging from the ceiling like frozen waterfalls.

"Don't touch the water," Angel warned Rin. "This is the source of the True Cross' holy water, the most potent in existence. It burns even if you're purely human; in your case it would likely sear you to the bone in an instant. Only demons of the Water Kingdom or those like Tereza, who possess a strong affinity for Water can safely come in contact with it."

Rin felt his oath to Mephisto take hold and took several steps back toward the stairs.

Angel dropped into parade rest, never quite turning his back on the underground lake, as he addressed Rin and Bon. "Two hours ago exorcists in Hawaii became aware that Pele was under attack by a second volcano god, Monadalkni of the Pacific Northwest." He tossed Bon a small booklet, "Chants from the Klamath People's shamen, they successfully resisted his incursion into Assiah during the eruption of Moy-Yaina, now known as the State of Oregon's Crater Lake."

"Monadalkni has no known oaths to Assiah, he was kept in check by Gmok'am'c, a mountain spirit," Angel continued. "If Monadalkni defeats Pele, he could conceivably cause a volcanic eruption that would obliterate the Island of Hawaii and fill the skies with enough ash to initiate a minor ice age, effecting weather patterns across the globe. He has always been regarded as an evil spirit and an enemy of mankind," The Paladin frowned. "If Pele is defeated the True Cross will need to find yet another source of Blessed Ashes, or face severe shortages."

Bon chewed on his lower lip thoughtfully as he started skimming through the book Angel had given him. The loss of the Academy's Peg Lanterns, the attack on the Myohda Salamanders, now this; it seemed like a shortage of Blessed Ashes was someone's goal not a side-effect.

"We will not be able to engage Monadalkni in direct combat due to the nature of the battlefield," Angel continued. "Ms. Annie will attempt to shift the battle in Pele's favor by sniping Monadalkni with holy water shot."

"Suguro, I checked your long range target scores while we waited," Oakley said. "Stick to chanting unless this really goes to hell. Past a hundred feet; that's around thirty meters; your aim's not good enough. Even if Pele and Monadalkni aren't in close combat you'd still be friendly-fire risk at the sort of distances we're hoping to maintain."

"Tereza and I will be intercepting any attacks directed at the party," Angel resumed. "Okumura, this is a good opportunity for you to observe and begin developing techniques for using your sword to cast your flames, turning them into a ranged attack. Also, once your demonic heart is unsealed, you should be invulnerable to normal lava, we may need to use you as a spotter for Ms. Annie if we can't get a clear line of sight on the battle. However, a stronger Flame Demon can burn you, stay clear of both Monadalkni and Pele's attacks."

Angel grimaced, "While Pele is bound to provide us with blessed ashes and considered… less evil than temperamental, even somewhat benevolent under the proper conditions, she regards us as insects and is fighting for her existence on this plane. She is not fighting as our ally and won't care if we get caught in the path of her rage."

Rin and Bon both nodded.

"Suguro, I don't know if Monadalkni's fatal verse is in that book," Angel admitted. "But the Klamath shamen's sphere of influence is limited enough that we don't have to worry about the verses effecting Pele. I've been assured that you're capable of cold reading in a foreign language. The first few pages are a pronunciation guide, you'll have roughly an hour and a half drive to use to study it before we reach the volcano site, do your best. It's a long shot, but worth trying. Also you'll be able to observe an expert Dragoon in battle."

Rin sensed a change in the atmosphere of the grotto. Durov held up a hand for silence for silence. Angel reached for his sword, but with a clear act of will, he kept himself from drawing it. The surface of the lake began to stir. The water rose. Rin backed up to the stairs, tugging Bon along with him.

A man appeared, at first glance he seemed to be walking on the surface of the water, but on closer examination one realized that he was actually part of the water. His legs ended at mid-calf, there were no feet beneath the water's surface, just a slight broadening of his legs as they merged with the water. The man looked barely older than Rin and Bon, his skin was translucently pale and his hair was a dark shade of red then Durov's but they shared remarkably similar features. "Why have you awoken me?" he asked. "My eternal rival Perun is gone and I find no amusement in quarrling with the new sun god who has replaced him. Why do you stir me from slumber?"

While the rest of the party retreated, Durov stood her ground, the water rose around her until it lapped at her thighs. "Veles, search your human heart and know me, I am Tereza, the sister of your flesh. I called you."

The man leaned down and tilted her face up to his. "You are familiar little one," he said. For a moment he looked thoughtful. "I am fond of you. I will forgive you for waking me."

"Elder brother, my friends and I go to fight a demon of Flames," Durov said. "I humbly beseech your aid. Perun is gone, that is true and those who have risen in his stead are unworthy of your rivalry. But there are those sworn to the Kingdom of Flame who do not respect the turning of the seasons and the natural cycles of the world as you and Perun did. I would do battle with them in your name, I ask your blessing on this endeavor."

Veles considered her for a long time, stroking the side of her face. "Every year I would climb from my watery underworld, up to Perun's sky castle and steal something from him. Not because I particularly wanted anything of his, but because he would come to take it back. Such glorious battles we fought, every year. But I am alone now, the last of my people…" He trailed off, blinking myopically down at Durov. "Little Tereza, when did you get so old?" he asked in confusion.

Tears trickled silently down Tereza's cheeks. "Anatoly," she whispered. "Oh, Anatoly, it didn't happen all at once you idiot." Absently he absorbed her tears into his body before they could fall.

Tereza gave herself a slight shake. "Anatoly, we need your help. I'm going to fight a volcano god; my friend over there is a dragoon. We need the strongest holy water shot imaginable."

"I can do that," Anatoly said. Tereza waded out of the lake, opened up the first box of munitions and carried back to him. He touched the open casings and water ran from his fingers to fill them. When the first box was finished Tereza handed it off to Oakley and went to get the second.

"Help me seal these," Oakley said to Bon.

Twenty minutes later, when the last of the holy water shot was sealed and ready for use, Anatoly kissed Tereza on the forehead then turned and walked back out into the grotto, sinking into the water as he walked away. Tereza knelt in the retreating water and splashed her face to remove any evidence of her tears before they started back up the many flights of stairs to the world above.


	9. Volcano God

**A New Normal**

**Disclaimer:** Characters and premise are the property of Kazue Kato. I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.

**Chapter Eight: The Volcano God**

The timer on the rice cooker chimed. Izumo scooped out and patted the gummy white grains into neatly rounded mounds. She garnished them with a few sprigs of parsley then summoned Uke and Mike.

"What's the occasion, Little Sis?" Mike asked as he examined the offering.

"I'm just being nice," Izumo replied. "And I wanted you to teach me more about bonds... I'm worried about Rin."

Uke raised his muzzle from his rice. "It's definitely in our best interest to look after Rin-kun," he remarked. The byakko stole a sly, side-long glance at Izumo. "Especially if you'd get him to prepare your offering next time."

Izumo thumped him on the haunch. "You are so rude," she complained without much heat.

"We're just saying we approve of _your_ dating a guy who can cook," Mike remarked, his tongue hanging out in a canine laugh.

"And that you should share the bounty," Uke added.

"If you're going to act like brats I refuse to be your younger sister," Izumo replied primly. "I'm much more mature than the two of you."

"Oh she goes and kisses a boy and now she's all grown up," Mike said to Uke.

"A bit more than kiss," Uke replied. "But she did all the initiating, we must have done a good job of the big brother thing with Rin-kun."

"Yep, we definitely approve," Mike said. "He cooks and he's respectful of our little sister… Or at least as respectful as she wants."

"Enough!" Izumo exclaimed, her cheeks pinking. "I need to talk with you SERIOUSLY!"

Uke rubbed his forehead against Izumo's shoulder. "We'll be good now. What's worrying you?"

Izumo took a deep breath, putting her thoughts together. "The two of you are strongly bound to serve my bloodline, but you're not shy about letting me know when you're unhappy, or when you have an opinion-"

"Or when we just feel like teasing you," Mike added.

Izumo rolled her eyes but nodded in agreement. "Rin really wants to keep Suguro happy. And when Suguro doesn't like something Rin loses interest in it; half the time he doesn't even realize he'd doing it."

"You should marry Rin-kun," Uke said promptly.

"I told you this was serious!" Izumo snapped. "Suguro shouldn't hold that much sway over him. I think there's something wrong with their bond. It's screwing with Rin's mind."

Mike and Uke conferred with each other for a few minutes. "There's nothing wrong with the bond," Mike said. "Rin-kun just isn't fighting it."

"Our bond to you is inherited," Uke picked up. "Your mother's orders still hold some power for us." Izumo flinched. "As do her mother's"

Mike wrinkled his nose in amusement. "I've still got it on the books that I should spank you if you won't eat your vegetables."

"Try it and you'll regret it," Izumo snarled.

"Where tension exists between your wishes and your mother's the bonds loosen," Uke said, before they could get too far off track.

"They're like those stretchy things you tie up your hair with," Mike explained. "Yes, they bind us, they pull us in a certain direction, but they're flexible. If we push back; interpretation, limitation, counterbalance; they give... to a degree. They can even be stretched to the breaking point, but the backlash is often deadly."

"Okumura Yukio attacked Rin-kun's sense of belonging as well as his sense of worth," Uke said. Izumo's mouth thinned. "Being bound creates a tangible sense of connection, sense of place that Rin-kun welcomes."

"But Rin-kun's bond is different from ours," Mike added. "He's bound to Suguro-kun personally. You are the intercessor between Inari and Assiah. Protecting and serving you defines us, it gives us purpose in Assiah, but we're bound to the position, not to you personally."

"There are pluses and minus to both," Uke shrugged. "Once Suguro-kun dies Rin-kun will no longer be bound. Our service to Inari's miko will only be ended in one of three ways: Our destruction, Assiah's destruction or Inari's complete withdrawal from matters of Assiah."

"When you act as Kamiki Izumo, not as Inari's miko we have much greater latitude to decide how much obedience we owe you," Mike said.

Uke gave Izumo a remonstrating look, "For longest time you refused to be Inari's miko, so we only answered your summons because it let us keep an eye on you and that was what your mother would have wished before she became love-sick and forgot herself and her responsibilities."

"She always had you take care of her responsibilities to Tsukumo and I, she was never a mother to us," Izumo said resentfully. "Did she order you to love her? Is that why you're still so loyal to her?"

Uke and Mike conferred silently between themselves for a long time. "Tamamo never _ordered _us to love her, but she needed to be loved so badly, the bond does pull us toward loving her," Uke admitted.

"Not that we ever resisted," Mike said quickly. "Before her need for that man made her sick, she was beautiful and kind, her joy was radiant. We loved to see her happy."

"I don't want to talk about her," Izumo said unhappily. "I'm worried about Rin. I don't care about her, she's already dead to me."

Uke sighed, "Tell Rin-kun when he changes his mind because of the bond. Remind him of his own priorities. He should get used to pushing back on his bonds, not everyone who manages to bind him will have good intentions."

* * *

><p>With the potent holy water secured, Angel led his little group back to the office area off St. Peter's Square. He opened the door they'd arrived through with a new key. Rin and the others stepped through and found themselves in a small, elaborately painted church. Rin gapped at the columns painted as palm trees between the biblical scenes on the walls. Angel closed the door to Rome behind them then returned his keys to his pocket and opened the doors again. This time they found themselves looking out over a steep hillside and down to the ocean.<p>

"We're in Hawaii," Rin marveled. "Oh man, I wish Izumo could have come."

"Mission!" Angel and Bon exclaimed together.

Rin hunched his shoulders and stared at his feet. "Sorry," he mumbled.

Bon sighed guiltily, "I know, you've never been here before. Maybe we'll have a little time to look around after the mission."

"I didn't pull you out of your classes to sightsee," Angel protested but Rin's expression had already perked up a bit.

Around the side of the chapel they found another building and a waiting car. Bon and Rin loaded the ammo in the trunk then Bon grabbed a corner in the back and buried his nose in the book of chants Angel had provided. Rin squeezed in next to Bon and Durov took the seat beside him while Angel claimed the front passenger seat and Oakley drove.

The road wound along the scenic coast line, around the southern end of the island then began to climb toward the volcano summit. Before long the five of them were hiking across a black, barren landscape toward the glowing cauldron of the volcano. Heavy plumes of steam and the occasional jet of lava shot up into the air from the cauldron's depths. "A good sign," Angel remarked. "The battle between Pele and Monadalkni still rages."

"Visibility is lousy," Oakley said. "I'm going to have to use Okumura to spot."

"How's that work?" Rin asked.

Oakley grinned and held up a small camera attached to a headband. "It gives me gps data on it's location as well as letting me use your eyes," she said.

"And you can actually hit a target like that?" Rin asked dubiously.

"Kid, I can shoot 'round a corner and hit what I aim at. I'm the Dragoon-adept, the best shot in True Cross and, as far as I know, the world," Oakley replied.

"And she's modest too," Angel tossed in.

"Every bit as modest as you," Oakley shot back. She adjusted the headband a little so it fit Rin securely then turned it on.

"Don't get any closer than you have to get a clear view of the battle," Angel warned Rin. "If you don't have to, don't descend all the way to the floor of the crater, but find a broad spot on the trail with some cover in case Monadalkni spots you. We'll be on the rim of the crater. Suguro, don't start chanting until Monadalkni zeroes in on where Ms. Annie's shots are coming from. Sniping has higher odds of success, although even with Holy Water straight from the source, we don't expect to do more than wound and distract Monadalkni; it will be up to Pele to take advantage of our intervention."

When they reached the rim of Halema'uma'u Crater, Oakley broke out a laptop which Rin realized was linked to his headset and strange looking rifle, then she started setting up a tripod. "This baby lets you control a lot more about your shot than the standard rifle," she explained. "I can adjust the muzzle velocity as well as changing where I aim it., drop bullets out of the clear blue sky like rain, if I want."

"Suguro, stay near Ms. Annie," Angel instructed. "Through Okumura's camera you'll be able to see if you find Monadalkni's fatal verse and Tereza and I will only have one location to protect. Okumura, unseal your heart before you get any closer."

Rin nodded. He drew both his swords, blue flames flared around him. With a grimace Rin willed them down to a faint halo. Then he sheathed Kurikara using the scabbard for his second sword. "When I fought the dragon, I really would have liked two hands free," Rin explained to Angel. "A normal sheath doesn't work as a seal for Kurikara and you had my second sword made to match Kurikara."

"We should add a third sword sheath to your harness," Angel said. "Switching swords like that in battle would leave you open. Now remember, don't get any closer than you have to. Don't engage, your job is to be Ms. Annie's eyes, not to fight Monadalkni."

Rin rolled his eyes. "I might not be Aria material but I can remember simple instructions for five minutes."

"I have my doubts about that," Angel sniffed. "Stay safe."

Rin waved and started down the tryail into the crater. The smell of sulfur and other volcanic gases intensified dramatically within moments. The floor of the crater was pitch black and riddled with glowing red fissures. Bursts of lava spewed up in curtains that dazzled Rin's ees and made it even harder to see through the smog of gases and the heat distortion rising out of the crater. He was almost three-quarters of the way down to the crater floor when he finally caught sight of a figure moving about the floor.

The winds shifted and the smog parted, the figure resolved into a massive grey-skinned humaniod with overly long arms and a large pot-belly. A moment later Oakley's first bullet struck home, the holy water sizzled and a spurt of lava erupted from Monadalkni's side. He wrinkled his bulbous nose and swatted at the wound as if it were a mosquito's bite. "Come out, come out little exorcists," the volcano god called.

Rin stopped and crouched down. He searched for any sign of Pele.

A second bullet answered Monadalkni's hail. He stomped his foot and a wave of lava arced up toward the rim of the crater, easily covering a fourth of the perimeter.

"Angel Slash!" Angel shouted. The bolt of power from his sword cut through the lava and diverted it around their group. A moment later Rin heard Bon's voice rise in a steady stream of words that were completely foreign to Rin's ears. The Paladin stepped out to the rim of the crater and stood, one hand on his hip, Caliburn's point casually resting on the ground. "You're trespassing Monadalkni. We're here to send you back to Gehenna where you belong."

"And you're a sucker Paladin," Monadalkni replied. He grinned, showing jagged black teeth, smoke seeped out of the corner of his mouth. "Pele went down real easy. I've been kicking up a fuss all on my own to see who'd be lured in."

Angel lopped off a lock of his hair and cast a powerful bolt at Monadalkni in return. Oakley followed up with two shots in quick succession. Monadalkni countered Angel's attack with a wave of lava and caught Oakley's bullets on a raised forearm. "Well if that's the way you want to play it, Paladin, I can always wipe out the whole island to see you dead," Monadalkni said conversationally.

In the background Bon continued chanting, his clear voice carried across the crater with a strong cadence. Rin's flames burned brightly at the indirect threat against his Aria. He leapt from the path to the floor of the crater, his secondary sword in hand. When he landed the black stone rocked under his feet and Rin realized that the basalt was floating on a lake of lava.

"Well, well, well," Monadalkni chuckled, he held out his hand and a jet of lava rose to fill it, hardening into a jagged stone club. "Aren't I the lucky one. A paladin and a traitor both waltz so sweetly into my trap." Then Rin was on him.

A harsh grating sound filled the air, like nails on a chalkboard, as Rin's sword scraped across Monadalkni's stone club. Rin pressed the larger demon as hard as he could, never letting up for a moment, determined not to give the volcano god the chance to carry out his threat.

Monadalkni jumped back, the basalt slab they stood on rocked as he landed and Rin staggered. The ash-colored demon swung his club, taking advantage of his much greater reach. Rin brought up his sword just in time, staggering under the force of the blow.

"Down!" Angel shouted and Rin reflexively dove for the ground. A red-tinged wave of power, unlike any Rin had seen before, slammed into Monadalkni. It drove the Volcano God into the basalt with such force that the slab shattered under him. A huge spout of lava shot up at Angel in response while Rin scrambled for semi-solid ground.

On the rim a wave of water from one of Durov's familiars met the lava. The water vaporized instantly but cooled the lava leaving behind a solid stone breastwork.

Monadalkni clawed his way back out of the lava. "You'll regret that," he snarled. Oakley shot him in response but when the demon stood, lava sheeting off him, any damage they'd done previously was gone.

Rin snarled, drawing more deeply on his power, refusing to be intimidated. He knew, as long as he could hear Bon's voice, he wouldn't forget his purpose. He darted across the lava field and resumed hacking at Monadalkni, his flame-wrapped sword taking chunks out of the larger demon's club.

Beneath them the lava began to roil, large pockets of hotter magma rose from the depths of the earth to create swells and rolls. The basalt slabs rose and fell like boats at sea. Rin fell to his knees as the slab he and Monadalkni had been fighting on tipped at thirty-five degree angle. Monadalkni dug his toes into the rock and laughed as Rin scrambled to create fire claws around his free hand.

A bluish wave of power, more what Rin was accustom to seeing from Angel, flew at Monadalkni. Almost absently the volcano god called up a surge of lava to block it, his eyes never left Rin.

Rin shaped his flames into heavy claws around his feet and charged back into the fight. For several minutes they traded blows, then Monadalkni took a quick step forward and intercepted Rin's sword as it descended. He caught Rin's wrist, then before he could recover, Monadalkni backhanded Rin with his club. The jagged surface of the club torn into Rin's flesh and he heard his ribs snapping like kindling. Rin fell back with a choked gasp of pain. Monadalkni raised his club over Rin, ready cave in his skull. Three bullets struck the demon's face and chest in quick succession. In the seconds Oakley had bought him, Rin forced himself up, he lunged from his knees and drove his secondary sword hilt deep in Monadalkni's chest. A spurt of lava erupted from the wound, melting Rin's sword and coating his hands and arms.

Monadalkni stepped back, breathing heavily, lava still seeping from his injury. "I'm gonna enjoy killing you brat," he said raising the club again.

Another of Angel's red-tinged bolts struck Monadalkni, this time it came in almost flat and drove Volcano god against the far wall of the crater. Several more red bolts followed the first, mercilessly beating Monadalkni into the rock wall. Rin glanced over his shoulder and saw that Angel had descended into the crater as well. The Paladin's bangs were plastered to his face with sweat even though he was still half-way up the trail and Caliburn's blade was edged with a deep red. "We have to get him away from the lava!" Angel shouted as he drew his hand down the length of his blade then pounded Monadalkni with another powerful blast.

"I'll kill you all," Monadalkni snarled as he levered himself out of the wall. The lava in the crater surged up. Rin glanced back, for a moment the look on Angel's face was simple disbelief as the molten rock began to erupt around him, then his expression shifted to something that frightened Rin. "No!" the younger knight shouted and his flames filled the cauldron, burning the lava away as it rose.

Monadalkni ripped himself free. "You won't escape me brat! Not even with the flames you stole from your father."

For a moment Rin heard Bon, still chanting. He broke his hands free of the hardened lava and, ignoring his screaming ribs and the blood dripping down his side, Rin drew Kurikara. He wasn't sure how the demon sword would hold up against the molten inferno raging inside Monadalkni's body, but there wasn't any other choice.

Monadalkni stopped moving, life left his eyes. For a moment the only sound was Bon's voice as the volcano god's body crumbled to ash. Bon's chant slowly tapered off into silence. With Monadalkni gone the lava in the crater settled back into quiescence. "We did it!" Rin exclaimed then winced.

Slowly, cradling his ribs, Rin made his way to the edge of the crater and began the ascent. He caught up to Angel before they reached the rim. Blood dripped from Angel's hands and coated Caliburn's blade as the Paladin climbed unsteadily up the trail using his sword as a crutch.

"Do you want help?" Rin asked, wondering if his ribs could stand it if he tried.

"No," Angel said sounding winded.

"You're bleeding, more than a little," Rin pointed out.

"Still?" Angel asked. He blinked at his hands in surprise.

"You cut deep this time." Caliburn gave a pleased hum. "You were thinking about going all the way my Angel, put my blade against your thigh… Then the flames came and you changed your mind," the sword pouted.

Angel ignored his sword and pulled a roll of bandages out of one of his pockets. He started wrapping his hands with the easy of long practice.

"Your sword is creepy," Rin informed Angel.

Angel shrugged, "He's honest about what he wants from me, unlike certain demons. Monadalkni called you a traitor, according to Zi's report the dragon said the same."

Rin scowled. "I am not! Satan killed my dad. Assiah is my home. I don't owe Gehenna anything just 'cause Satan tricked my mom into sleeping with him or something…" Rin looked uncertain for a moment, his questions about the Blue Night and the realization that he didn't actually know anything about how he'd been conceived bubbled to the surface. Then his expression hardened. "I swore myself to Bon, that's all that matters. I chose my bonds to Assiah, to my friends and to my dad. Satan's my enemy!"

"I hadn't meant to question your loyalty," Angel said. Then he smiled fondly. "But a very good answer none the less."

* * *

><p>By the time they returned to Rome Rin's ribs had begun to knit and the road-rash caused by Monadalkni's club was almost completely healed. He wondered if his injuries would have healed instantly if he'd turned his flesh to flame and back but without Ucchusma to guide him through the process Rin didn't dare try.<p>

Angel led them to the administration desk and returned the key to Hawaii. As they turned to leave a senior exorcist stepped out of his office. "Paladin, that bunch in Delphi are making notable headway in convincing regular people that demons are real. The effect of Gaia's return to Assiah is too strong to be dismissed and then there's the way they flaunt their association with demons. I've heard rumors that you might be called on to deal with them."

Angel sniffed, " I assure you that if that were the case, I would know long before you." He turned to Rin and Bon, "Your friends are an annoyance, but any sort of overt action against them would result in more aggravation than they're worth... Even if the Grigori is highly suspicious of all those mixed breeds appearing out of no where."

Bon's chin rose stubbornly. "After the way the Grigori's treated Rin, I wouldn't tell them where to find a restroom. Anyway, we don't know. Shima just complains about the living conditions and Shiemi-chan worries about making sure the kids get a balanced diet."

Rin stared at the floor as he nodded.

"Shiemi-chan's the sweetest person you're ever going to meet," Bon continued. "She's the one dealing with Gaia, that's enough for me to know they're not up to anything bad. The Grigori ought to make an effort to stop alienating people who are only trying to do the right thing."

Durov chuckled. "Not shy about speaking his mind is he?" she remarked approvingly.

Angel grimaced. "Don't encourage them," he said. Then turned to Bon and Rin, "The Grigori are your superiors; they are aware of things you are completely ignorant of. You should respect their judgement."

Bon snorted. "And I'm aware of stuff they choose to be blind to. I'll respect their judgement when they show me that they're worthy of respect. I'm responsible for the future of the Myo-o-dhari, it's on me to choose a good direction for my people, I can't follow just anyone."

"And you choose to put your faith in Mephisto Pheles?" Angel questioned.

"As far as I know our interests coincide," Bon replied. "I trust Mephisto to turn whatever tools come into his hands to his goals. I trust him to make decisions that effectively further his goals. The way the Grigori's approached Rin is wrong. It's rooted in fear. They're afraid of him, so they try to control him through fear. They've never tried to get to know him or to understand where he's coming from."

"They sent me," Angel pointed out. "They'll listen to me. As for Sir Pheles... You never really know what his intentions are." Then he sighed, "Even so, I will be making yet another attempt to get a straight answer from that old demon as soon as we return."

Bon looked troubled all the way back to the Academy.

* * *

><p>True to his word, Angel headed directly to Mephisto's office once they were back in Japan. "Twice now Okumura has been specifically targeted by other demons," he accused. "Monadalkni considered him a more important than even myself."<p>

"What did you expect?" Mephisto replied lightly. "Rin-kun wears his treason like crown. To demonic eyes it is as plain as the nose on his face that he is of the Flame Kingdom. His bond to Surguro; it's strength and purity of intent; gleams like a gem, proclaiming his allegiance to Assiah. Any demon who is true to Iblis will want to kill him on sight."

"You didn't think, perhaps, that you should warn me of this before I allowed him to tag-along when my team went to exorcise a Grand Duke of the Flame Kingdom, a demon who could lay claim to being a god?" Angel demanded sarcastically.

"I suppose I could make Rin-kun's father aware of the situation," Mephisto said thoughtfully. Without acknowledging Angel's alarmed expression he continued on. "Rin-kun is the sole inheritor of the blue flame, there is no question that he will grow into a very powerful demon of the Flame Kingdom. He holds beliefs quite contrary to Iblis'; Rin-kun has shown that he would not protest being asked to serve mankind. I would imagine that Iblis, fearing competition, is hoping that one of his subordinates will kill Rin-kun while he is still new to his power. Although I would be highly surprised if the Flame King had the temerity to actually order such a thing. Satan undoubtedly has his own plans concerning our Rin."

"You are not to draw Satan's attention to Okumura!" Angel ordered angrily.

"If that is your wish, I shall abide by it," Mephisto replied meekly. Then he smiled and added, "Of course, one of your ongoing responsibilities is the investigation of the murders of familiars from the Flame Kingdom committed by their kinsmen. It has been taking up a considerable portion of your time lately, has it not? If you try to shield Rin-kun from his kin changes are you will fail to provide either him or Suguro-kun with adequate field experience before the next Exorcist Exam is due."

"What nefariousness are you up to?" Angel exploded. "Is it your goal to keep him in perpetual danger?"

"Say, more kindly, that I trust in your ability to get him back out in one piece," Mephisto replied looking up at Angel over his steepled fingers.

Angel glowered for a moment. "I despise you," he declared. "What do you want? What does this accomplish?"

Mephisto grinned toothily, enjoying Angel's aggravation. Then he suddenly became serious. "Your investigation is too narrow in it's scope. How many new contracts have exorcists made with the Flame Kingdom in the last five years? The last ten? How many Tamers with Flame affinity have been killed? Outside of the Myodha how many of their familiars are left?" he demanded.

"The Kingdom of Flame is moving against Assiah," Angel concluded.

"Iblis is purging his kingdom of dissidents, and moderates as well," Mephisto corrected. "However, if Iblis' undesirables had a banner to rally around… Rin-kun cannot deny what he is: The inheritor of the Blue Flame, the human-reared Prince of Hell. Hiding from Gehenna will not serve him any longer. Shiro protected him to the best of his ability but Rin-kun cannot remain a child forever."

Mephisto sighed, fondness softened his expression. "Shiro loved him far too much to accept what Rin-kun was fated to grow into. Now that he has come into his powers and until the sun grows cold, Okumura Rin will stand between worlds that have been at war since time immemorable; distrusted and targeted by both sides. Human blood fades but, once nurtured, the human spirit does not."

"Do your duty, Paladin Arthur Auguste Angel. Take him with you as you investigate the unrest within the Kingdom of Flame, let him be seen by his kin. Give them their rally point and let Iblis' purge turn to civil war. Rin doesn't even have to know, yet."


	10. Jealous Worries

**A New Normal**

**Disclaimer:** Characters and premise are the property of Kazue Kato. I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.

**Chapter Ten: Jealous Worries**

Amaimon nudged the hobgoblin he was using as a pillow in an effort to get comfortable on one of the cots set up in the infant area of the Apollo temple. He'd almost managed to fall asleep when a soft snuffling sound of unhappiness whispered through the room. The Earth King made a face and started to roll to his feet but saw that Shiemi was already heading toward the crib. He closed his eyes and listened to her murmuring the baby as she headed toward the row of prepared bottles and a small, carefully regulated, lukewarm spring that had been encouraged to bubble up in a the corner of the room.

About the time Shiemi settled into a rocking chair with bottle and baby a second infant started whimpering. Amaimon sighed and got up. "Hush, I hear you," he said quietly, leaning over the crib. "Don't wake all your cousins, there's only four of us big people on duty." Amaimon wrinkled his nose as he picked the infant up. "Mine smells," he complained to Shiemi carrying the child at arm's length.

Shiemi giggled. "You know what to do," she reminded him.

Amaimon scowled, but headed over to the changing table. Standing as far back as possible he removed the safety pin on baby's the diaper and gingerly unwrapped the child. "Uggh!" he exclaimed, being careful to keep his voice low. He wrinkled up his face in a parody of disgust and held his breath as he used the edge of the diaper to wipe away the worst of the mess. Once the child was clean and the dirty diaper was safely sealed in an odor-tight hamper Amaimon grabbed a fresh cloth. "You will learn to use a restroom quickly," Amaimon informed the child sternly. "I'm your king and it is beneath my station to deal with all this shit you insist on producing."

Shiemi ducked her head and bit her lip to keep from laughing too loudly at Amaimon's declaration.

"I can't believe I was ever curious about human waste elimination," Amaimon informed her. "It's revolting."

Seeing that the first baby had finished his bottle and fallen back asleep Shiemi returned him to his crib and filled a second bottle with lukewarm water from the spring then shook it up and handed it to Amaimon. "Thank goodness Nishiki's volunteers thought to bring bottles and lots of formula," she said.

Amaimon perched on the window ledge and offered the baby her bottle. "Its' almost dawn," he observed happily. "Almost time for someone else's turn to change diapers."

"I should head to the gardens before too many of our… neighbors wake-up," Shiemi sighed.

Amaimon grimaced. "You are the Oracle of Delphi, Mother's vessel on Assiah, you shouldn't hide from a bunch of humans." He smirked. "It's fitting that they want to worship you, but they need to learn to do so from a distance. If they pester you tie them up with stinging nettles or something until they learn better."

"They don't mean any harm," Shiemi protested. "And they shouldn't worship me. I'm not Gaia, I'm just me."

"You're the one who intercedes with Gaia," Amaimon disagreed. "Normally gods of her stature, of Middle Gehenna, only concern themselves with the destruction and recreation of Assiah. But Mother stayed her hand because of you."

"Middle Gehenna?" Shiemi asked.

Amaimon gave a small huff, as if he couldn't believe Shiemi's ignorance. "The lesser gods and demons, the young and the weak, are the ones to interact with Assiah, it's stage for us to learn on, with humans as our game pieces and score counters…" He trailed off for a moment, "Big brother punished me when I called humans soap bubbles. He says humans are more than that. Even though you live such short little lives, hardly more than mayflies, he says you're as real as us. And, of course, you're my priestess, you matter. You stood up to mother and made her compromise... Still, the other is what most everyone believes."

"Anyway, the gods of Middle Gehenna are the greater gods, they create Assiah for their children to play with, when one Assiah becomes too damaged or degraded they destroy it and make a new one. Last there's Outer Gehenna, it shields us all from the Void. When a god grows too powerful for Middle Gehenna they retire to the walls, their bodies become our shelter."

Shiemi nodded, she remembered Gaia mentioning the Walls.

Amaimon frowned, "Father broke the rules. He's too powerful, too old, his touch burns Assiah but he won't leave. Instead he controls things through the Eight Kings."

"Only you, Mephisto and Egyn don't follow him," Shiemi interjected.

"We're no more obedient than we have to be," Amaimon agreed. "And Big Brother has plans, but Father could smash any of us if he wanted to. Or if he was in a good mood he could just order us to submit; he's our Father it's hard to disobey him. Egyn talks a lot about how much he hates Father but all he actually does is pick fights with Iblis, Astaroth and I. He's too chicken to pester our older brothers."

Suddenly a thought occurred to Amaimon and he grinned, "With Mom here, Father can't boss me around!"

"Would Egyn be the same?" Shiemi asked. "Even though Gaia isn't his mom?"

Amaimon pouted at Shiemi's interest in Egyn but he still considered her question. "I'm balanced between Gaia and Satan, they have equal claim to me and they disagree a lot. It was always harder for Father to make Egyn and I submit than to make Iblis or Astaroth, because they moms are simpering idiots and ours aren't. Mom being around wouldn't affect Egyn directly because he doesn't owe her any loyalty... that might be why Egyn's courting Mom."

Shiemi looked thoughtful, "Sir Pheles would probably like us to be friendly with Egyn."

"He's a bastard!" Amaimon protested loudly which started the child he was feeding crying. "Don't make that noise," he ordered in a whisper as he held the bottle enticingly. After a moment the child picked suckling over crying to Amaimon's relief. He looked back to Shiemi, "You don't have to make any oaths with Egyn. Father won't challenge Mom in her own territory."

"What about the other four kings?" Shiemi asked. "Could Satan force Mephisto to submit to him?"

"If they ever fought straight out, Father would smush Big Brother," Amaimon said matter-of-a-factly. "But he can't make Samuel submit, not even a little. I don't know why. It's probably not because of his mother; Lucifer does everything he can to impress Father… But then maybe that's just Lucifer being a suck-up."

Michelle showed up followed by Mamushi and several other volunteers. "Time to start baths," Michelle said.

"Good morning, have fun," Shiemi said as she headed out to her gardens.

Amaimon grunted a disinterested greeting and left to check that the changes he'd made to area's the geothermal activity were stable.

His first stop was the bathhouse. As he walked down the stairs he heard Obizu's voice. Without a second thought, Amaimon shifted to his hamster form and crept closer, using the crack under the door to spy on the Duchess of Water.

Obizu was leaning over the bath and trying to shove a large chest into the water. "I am not giving Shiemi-san a box full of pearls and gems," she declared. "Lord Egyn, you sent me here because I, quote, talk girl, so you will listen to me!"

"Stop being such an old killjoy. All girls like jewels," Egyn argued from the depths of the bathwater. "Shows I can provide for her much better than the Earth-brat."

Amaimon ground his teeth together.

"It's too much you big oaf!" Obizu insisted sternly. "This early in the courtship overly expensive gifts will just make her uncomfortable."

"I know where every last doubloon of sunken treasure lies. At my whim oysters produce pearls," Egyn declared. "It is nothing to me to give her such riches."

Obizu groaned in frustration, "Exactly, it means nothing to you and to her it will look like you're being pushy again. Give her meaningful presents. She liked the fish for the children."

"I want to give the lovely and kind Shiemi something for herself," Egyn sulked.

"Then give her flowers," Obizu suggested. "Or maybe a nice living coral arrangement. Show her that the world beneath the waves can be as beautiful as the gardens she tends so lovingly. Put some thought into it my lord, don't just throw treasure at her."

The resistance on the other side of the chest vanished abruptly and Obizu fell face first into the bath. She stood up and shook herself off with a grin. "So now you're ready to listen to me?"

Amaimon slipped away, resolving to search Obizu's room later for anything Egyn might send to tempt HIS priestess away; in his hamster form the thought of chewing Egyn's gift up had great appeal. Once he was halfway up the stairs Amaimon popped back to his normal form. 'And maybe I'll just take Obizu's advice for myself if Bastard-ni's too dumb to listen,' he thought.

'I'm already doing everything I can to help with the squirts and the camp but I suppose that doesn't count. They're my subjects, my nieces and nephews, after all. I could make Shiemi some nice clay planters. She liked having plants share her rooms at Big Brother's school."

Amaimon was still considering the merits of the notion when Meda ran up and tugged on his arm. Holding up her rag-doll she announced, "Young Roger came tapping at Dolly's window. Thumpaty, thumpaty, thump! He asked for admittance, she answered 'No!' Frumpaty, frumpaty, frump! 'No, no Roger, no! As you came you may go! Stumpaty, stumpaty, stump!"

Amaimon frowned at her thoughtfully. "You're right," he said. "Shiemi's smarter than to be swayed by that watery bastard's stupid presents."

Meda shrieked and stomped her foot. "There were once two cats of Kilkenny! Each thought there was one cat too many; so they fought and they fit and they scratched and they bit. Till, excepting their nails and the tips of their tails, instead of two cats, there weren't any!" She scowled up at Amaimon. "Young Roger... " Her voice caught for a moment then her face screwed up with effort and she spat, "Young _demoneater_ came tapping! Some aren't as smart as Dolly." Throwing one last disgusted look over her shoulder, she stomped off.

Amaion stared after her for a few moments then he shrugged and turned in the other direction.

"If you won't let me, I'll beg Gaia," Amaimon heard one of the former La Llorona, he thought her name was Sofia, declare.

"You'll only be wasting her time," Echidna replied. "You can't leave."

"I'm not staying here to raise my baby in the middle of a target!" Sofia exclaimed. "I'm taking him somewhere safe, somewhere we can hide. Gaia has to understand. I can't stay here where everyone hates us!"

"You murdered your last child," Echidna said coldly. "You won't go off on your own with this one."

"I killed myself in penance, I was a La Llorona for a hundred years, I have atoned!" Sofia protested.

Echidna shook her head. "You were forgiven and given a second chance, you can never make up for what you did."

Amaimon stepped aside as a sobbing girl ran past. "You made her cry," he observed to his older sister.

Echidna sighed, "I told her the truth."

"Shiemi would have been nicer."

A reluctant smile touched Echidna's face. "Does my baby brother have a crush?"

"I'm your king," Amaimon sulked.

Echidna tried to work up the motivation to tease Amaimon about how he might be the Earth King but he was still her baby brother, but what came out instead was a sigh. "I'm tired," she told him. "My daughters aren't my daughters, their nascent personalities were smothered when the La Llorona merged with them. We live in a siege state, surrounded by humans who would kill us or torture us rather than worship us as they should."

"We're working on it," Amaimon tried to offer comfort.

"I'm tired, I wish for rest," Echidna said. "But my power doesn't grow as your does. I would have to survive several dozen Assiah's before my strength would match yours and you're only a few centuries past five thousand. It's likely that I'll fall in one ragnarok or another long before I grow powerful enough to be called to the Walls. I'll fall and leave my bones to become the foundation of a future Assiah, hopefully a better one."

"This is my Assiah," Amaimon rumbled. "And I like it."

"Your Shiemi is a sweet child," Echinda sighed. "But I almost wish that she hadn't dissuaded Mother from destroying this hateful world and built a new one where humans on the whole would be humble, respectful and… and not so terribly numerous."

"They're not so bad, most of them," Amaimon argued awkwardly. "Big brother likes them."

"I don't," Echidna said. They stared at each other for a few moments, knowing that they couldn't come to agreement.

"I have stuff to do," Amaimon muttered and left.

He started toward Shiemi's gardens wondering if she wanted some help, but Renzo headed him off. "I've got a new email about our power problems," the pink haired boy said steering Amaimon into the generator's building. "They said we're still not getting enough steam pressure. We're turning the turbine, but not fast enough."

Amaimon scowled, "I've cracked the Earth's mantle to the core. If I open it any further it will be an eruption instead of a steam vent." He leaned around the lazily turning turbine and stuck his head into the vent, ignoring the scalding heat. "Shouldn't have any trouble boiling water in here,"

Obizu joined them, curiously she leaned over Amaimon's shoulder. "Plenty of heat," she agreed. "Not enough water. The volume of steam should be higher."

"Who asked you?" Amaimon snapped.

"We've tried all our ideas," Renzo pointed out. "Might as well give hers a try. I mean it won't blow up or anything if you open up the passage from the spring a little, right? We're not short on water."

"I could do it," Obizu offered. She grinned at Amaimon. "If it's too much trouble for the Earth King to increase the passage, I could ask the spring to flow more quickly."

"I can do it," Amaimon said quickly as he stepped away from the vent. "I just don't get why you think her idea will work." He gave Renzo a suspicious look. "Unless this is one of those flirting things." He grinned unpleasantly. "Fine, I'll do it… then I'll tell Shiemi you wanted me to."

Renzo rolled his eyes. "First, I'm not anywhere near that subtle when I flirt. Second, Shiemi-chan knows me not to care if I was flirting with her. Not that I was, all I want is to figure out if Blue-belle here had a good idea or not."

Amaimon huffed doubtfully then turned and stretched out his hands. The earth shivered and shifted. A massive plume of steam shot out of the vent. The turbine whined as it's blades spun blurringly fast. The excess of superheated steam billowed out to filled the room.

Yamantaka burst into Assiah and yanked Renzo out of the room before the steam could broil him alive.

"Too much!" Obizu exclaimed as she reached into the vent.

Amaimon glared at her angrily as she adjusted the flow until the turbine was humming happily. Then he stomped outside to find Renzo doubled over, leaning on his thighs and panting heavily. He stared at the pink-haired boy for several minutes. "You didn't summon Yamantaka," he noted.

"And he didn't possess you either," Obizu added.

"Damn, wasn't ready for that," Renzo muttered to himself as he blinked black spots out of his vision.

"If Yamantaka's not your familiar, what is he to you?" Amaimon demanded.

"He's my familiar," Renzo said.

"Familiars don't just show up unsummoned," Obizu remarked.

"Izumo's do," Renzo argued. "What's with the twenty questions?"

"In places sanctified to Inari, maybe," Amaimon allowed. "But this place is Gaia's hallowed ground, not a flame demon's." He thought for several moments, "Mike and Uke might be able to come if their priestess' life was in danger."

"My life _was_ in danger," Renzo said. "Maybe you two don't care about getting steam cooked, but I do."

"It's in their contract to protect Inari's priestess," Amaimon remarked. "What binds Yamantaka to you?"

"I don't see it's any business of yours," Renzo said drawing himself up indignantly and stalking away.

Once he was alone Renzo leaned back against a nearby wall tiredly. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the faintest shimer of black flames. "Thanks for the save," he said to Yamantaka. "You're not going to get in trouble with Iblis? I mean saving my bacon from a stupid accident isn't quite the same as me giving you permission to fight Exorcists or screw up Egyn's plans."

"Oh, I don't know," Yamantaka replied in a dry whispery voice. "It was a Duchess of Water who instigated the accident, it might have been a plot to inconvenience Gaia. Iblis doesn't loath the Earth Kingdom the way he does the Water Kingdom. Of course, he still remains unaware that Amaimon has sworn his love and honor to a human girl."

"Yeah, that'd hit King Cranky-pants' hot buttons," Renzo agree. "It might even be enough to cost Egyn his least favorite brother status, even with his whole, 'I hate my dad. Here have some holy water' thing." The pink haired boy gave a self-deprecating grin, "I'd probably like Egyn if he hadn't made Shiemi cry. But anyway, that's why I was worrying. I know Iblis is not going to be cool with you going around saving human lives."

"Maybe not, but you're a special case," Yamantaka said. "The payment made against your life hasn't been fully spent yet."

"Takezo," Renzo said with a touch of bitterness. "So even Iblis agrees that me for Take was a bad trade for mankind."

The flames fluttered a bit as if Yamantaka had shrugged. "Takezo sacrificed his life to give me more power in Assiah; Iblis likes those kinds of deals, even if I did promise to protect your life in return. And so, as long as even a spark of Takezo's life-force remains I will protect you."

"Takezo must have been pretty amazing," Renzo sighed. "You've saved my life three or four times now and haven't repaid him. Almost makes me wish I remembered him more… Or I suppose my life just isn't worth much to anyone."

"It doesn't take much to save you from hot water," Yamantaka temporized. "Just the energy it took to come unsummoned. Besides I like having you around, not many humans bother themselves to learn about Gehenna's internal politics."

Renzo managed a small smile, "Thanks."


	11. Gehenna Statecraft

**A New Normal**

**Disclaimer:** Characters and premise are the property of Kazue Kato. I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.

**Chapter Eleven: Gehenna Statecraft**

One month and several missions after the battle against Monadalkni Rin found himself back in Kyoto along with Angel and Bon.

Shima Yaozo led them up the mountain, past the old Myodha temple grounds. "Since the attack we've been keeping our familiars in Assiah," Yaozo explained to Angel as he walked. "Ucchusma and Karura helped our Arias set up a permanent barrier to keep the salamanders in and hikers out. There were several old charcoal kilns on the mountain that we refurbished, our tamers have been keeping them fired up so the salamander can restore themselves without returning to Gehenna. It's been working out very well."

"I don't actually care about how you've been skirting the Vatican's guidelines regarding familiars," Angel stated. "Tell me about the attack."

Rin, Bon and Kinzo trailed behind the older Exorcists. As they approached the barrier Kinzo shifted closer to Bon, "Do you know what's going on with Ren?" he asked quietly, worriedly. "Juu-ni just says he's upset and confused and he'll come home once he calms down."

"I wouldn't count on it," Bon replied while Rin started walking slower still, trying not to intrude. "Renzo's not a kid throwing a tantrum. He and Shiemi-chan are doing something important, something he cares about. We talk enough that I know how hard he's working at getting Delphi fixed up proper for the kids. It's not what you expected him to do, but it's still worthwhile and until you guys recognize that, well, chances are he's not going to 'calm down'. And even if he does, don't count on him coming home. Still, I figure he'll patch things up with you guys once you stop trying to tell him who he's supposed to be."

Up front Yaozo directed Angel's attention to a seared patch of ground. The fire damage cut off abruptly where it encountered the barrier, but shield itself bore visible scorch marks even though it had no physical presence. "No one actually saw it and it didn't get through the warded barrier," he said. Angel knelt to get a closer look at the damage.

Out of the corner of his eye Rin caught a hint of movement. He twisted around, drawing his secondary sword, just as a burning length of chain whipped out to wrap around his blade and neck. Rin's quick reflexes saved him from being garroted, but he was yanked off his feet and sent tumbling toward a shadowy cleft; dragging him away from the other four Exorcists.

In a single movement Angel drew Caliburn and cast a fast attack into the shadows from which the chain emerged. "Show yourself!" he demanded.

Rin used the moment of Angel's attack to shrug free of the chain. He grabbed for the chain to drag his attacker into the light but it was drawn back before he could lay hold of it.

An unremarkable looking man with dark grey hair stepped out of the shadows casually spinning the chain, which was attached to a crude hand-scythe, about himself. "I wasn't planning to spend much time on this," he said and the chain flashed forward.

Rin stepped into the attack, intercepting it with his wakizashi. The chain wrapped around his arm several times, the links biting into his flesh. The man lunged forward, driving the scythe toward Rin's skull. Rin blocked the weapon as it descended, his flames rising. The man abort his attack and leapt back, pulling the chain around Rin's arm taunt. For a moment they were caught in a game of tug-of-war. The bones in Rin's forearm groaned in protest as the chain tightened, his shoulder joint was on the verge of being pulled from the socket.

"Kinzo, get Ryuji in the barrier," Yaozo ordered as he hefted his staff. Angel sliced through the chain binding Rin and Rin quickly shrugged free of it. He fell in beside his teacher.

The fallen chain slithered back to the man as if it were a living thing, the broken linking welding themselves back together. "You're going insist on being troublesome," the man sighed as Yaozo joined Rin and Angel. He resumed spinning his chain. Flames began to dance in his eyes. Suddenly, there were four chains spinning over the man's head.

"You could withdraw, Avnas is it not?" Angel suggested. He watched the spinning chains warily and jumped aside a moment before one smashed into the ground where he's been standing in a great cloud of sparks and steam.

"Avnas I am," the man said, graciously inclining his head. "Not that it will help your Arias to know that." He sighed again, "I would withdraw, in fact I wouldn't have bothered to come in the first place, but explaining why the brat's not dead is more troublesome yet."

"Okumura, pull back," Angel said quietly.

Rin shook his head, "I'm a knight, there's I can do hiding behind a shield."

Avnas smirked and Rin was dodging strike after strike. The ground exploded around him everywhere the chain touched. Yaozo and Angel both attacked, trying to take advantage of Avnas' focus on Rin. Even as they attacked more chains formed and kept them at bay.

'Love the way he just stands there,' Bon thought as he drew his gun and carefully aimed. He kept chanting, hoping Avnas had discounted him, not wanting to draw attention to his change in tactics. The bullet exploded the moment it entered the sphere defined by Avnas' chains.

As the fight continued the explosions increased in ferocity and the chains continued to multiply. Yaozo dropped back until he was just outside of the barrier.

Rin switched swords. With his flames raging around him, he disregarded the explosions and charged Avnas. He ducked one burning chain, two more were knocked away by blasts from Angel's sword. Rin engaged the scythe with his wakizashi and brought Kurikara up to gut Avnas. Then everything around him exploded. To Rin's shock the flames burned, superheated shrapnel struck him, ripping through flesh and clothes.

Bon and Kinzo extended the barrier quickly enough to protect Yaozo.

Angel drove Caliburn into the ground and shielded himself behind the sword. A flying stone nicked the paladin's forehead. He leaned against Caliburn's blade, letting the sword absorb his blood before it could be wasted.

Avnas stood, untouched at the heart of the inferno.

Angel grabbed Rin's shoulder and threw him toward the barrier. The Paladin loosed a red-tinged blast at Avnas to cover his own retreat. Avnas gave a put upon sighed at seeing all five of them behind the shimmering shield. "Delaying the inevitable only annoys me," he said as he walked up to the barrier. His chains flayed it repeatedly.

"Reinforce it, make it one way if you can," Angel ordered.

"Follow my lead," Yaozo told the two younger Aria. He started a modified barrier spell, Bon and Kinzo echoed him a moment later. "Go ahead," Yaozo nodded to Angel but it was Rin who responded first. Rin swung Kurikara in a sharp short arc, a swell of flames ran down the length of the blade and broke free, flying from the blade to strike Avnas. The flame demon grunted at the impact but didn't let up his attack.

"What sort of monster is he?" Kinzo asked remembering those same flames consuming the Impure King.

"Avnas, Grand Duke of Flames, second only to Iblis in the Kingdom of Flame," Angel said.

A slow smile crossed Avnas' face to hear himself identified as such, he spared a moment from his attack on them to sketch a small bow.

Angel responded by sliding his hand down Caliburn's length, wetting the blade with blood. Avnas swung several of his chains to block. Rin, his flames intensifying as the battle continued, sent a second attack after Angel's. The two of them quickly fell into a rhythm, pounding Avnas with attack after attack. Bon bit his thumb and summoned Karura to aid them. Together, Angel, Rin and Karura forced Avnas on the defensive, even so they weren't doing any damage.

After fifteen minutes, Angel was pale from blood loss, but the delay was enough. Ucchusma arrived along with a number of Salamanders and their Myodha tamers.

Avnas looked at the forces arrayed against him and grimaced. "Okay, you've made yourself more trouble than you're worth. Catch you later brat," he said and disappeared.

Rin flexed his hand gingerly, the bruises left from Avnas' chain were already darkening long spirals up and down his arm.

"You may want to talk to Archknights Durov and Wang about improving your barriers," Angel said to Yaozo. The left sleeve of his coat was more red than white. Angel returned Caliburn to his sheet and started down the hill. He made it fifteen feet before collapsing.

* * *

><p>The next day Rin hovered over a rich stew simmering on the stove in the Old Dorm's kitchen while Izumo divided her time between giving Bon narrow-eyed looks and slicing bread. When Rin went to lift the heavy pot off the burner Izumo exclaimed, "Put that down! Your arm is still hurt." She glared pointedly at Bon. "Someone else should get it."<p>

"What did I do to get you in such a snit?" Bon demanded as he went to help.

"Don't drop it!" Rin exclaimed, hovering nervously as Bon moved pot to the table.

Izumo continued to glare at Bon, "Why do you think? Rin got hurt because of you… Again. Half the missions you go on, Rin comes back hurt."

"He doesn't get hurt that often!" Bon protested as Rin said, "It's just a little fracture. Normal knight stuff."

Once the pot reached the table without incident Rin started ladeling a healthy portion of the stew into a thermos while Bon opened the kitchen door and shouted, "Dinner's on! We'll eat without you before we let it get cold!"

"Who are you making takeaway for?" Izumo inquired.

"Angel," Rin said. "Meaty stuff is supposed to be good for blood loss. My wrist will have healed before he's over being anemic. Don't fight with Bon. I'm a knight, getting banged up a little is part of the deal."

The first year Exwires charged down the stairs. "You're a life-saver," Godain declared. "Miwa-senpai''s study sessions are brutal."

Konekomaru and Paku arrived behind the first years just in time to overhear Godain's comment. Konekomaru looked pleased with himself. "Mephisto is going to have to come up with a new post-first Exorcist Exam speech if I have anything to say about it," he declared.

"Demon classification?" Bon asked.

Konekomaru nodded, "They are going to pass that section… One way or another."

While they talked everyone grabbed plates and glasses and quickly set the table.

"Speaking of the Exam," Ito said. "Suguro-senpai, can I borrow your gun? I want to be a dragoon, I ought to have at least fired a gun once before the Exam."

"Stick to your sling-shot. They're not going to let you have a firearm in the Exam anyway," Bon pointed out. "They'll use the Exam to decide if you're responsible enough to have a gun… And knowing you, I'd vote no."

"I can't believe you're seriously putting Dragoon as your primary meister Ito," Ueno said shaking her head. "Sadao-kun and I are both testing for it, but only because you can work on your Doctor and Dragoon at the same time."

"Don't be mean you guys," Rin remarked. "Dragoons can be pretty cool. My little brother got a lot more use out of his Dragoon Meister than his Doctor."

Izumo, Bon and Konekomaru all tensed at the mention of Yukio.

"Your_ younger_ brother has two meisters already?" Maki asked disbelievingly.

"Well, younger twin," Rin clarified.

"Rin only started cram school the April before last," Izumo said defensively. "Okumura Yukio started studying when he was seven and got his first meister when he was fourteen. He's not that great."

Rin grimaced at Izumo's tone and quickly dropped the subject. "Maki, have you decided which weapon you're going to specialize in? They do let knight-hopefuls have a real weapon in the practical section of the test."

"I'm thinking a mace," Maki replied. He smiled like a kid thinking of christmas, "One with lots of spikes."

Mana glanced shyly toward Bon and Konekomaru, "Do you guys think I've got any chance as an Aria?" she asked. "I know you two started studying long before you started the Academy and I didn't even know demons existed until just last year."

"You'll do fine," Konekomaru said. "You have excellent elocution and a strong memory."

"How are you and Yips doing?" Izumo asked Godain.

"He's great," Godain said. "There were some shironeri in the cleaning closet at class, Yips chased them off without even being asked."

"Nagatomo and Tsuzo aren't here yet, shouldn't we wait for them?" Rin asked.

"There's a faculty meeting for the Cram School tonight," Bon said. "They'll probably eat with the other instructors."

Everyone settled into their meal.

After several minutes Godain glanced uncertainly at Rin. "Rin-kun, um, I know you don't really have a homeroom, because your apprenticeship makes your schedule weird. But for the Fall Festival, I, well, I sort of claimed you for our class. You have most of your classes with us… You don't mind do you?"

"Doesn't the class mind being stuck with me?" Rin worried.

"Not in the least," Paku giggled. "You've missed out on all the fun, being gone with Paladin Angel all the time. You see, they're doing a food booth... and so is the class you take English with. During our planning meetings the Class Reps practically got in a fight over who gets you. Then Sir Pheles got involved, he was talking about an obstacle course and you know him; it totally would have gotten out of hand. The staff representative on the Festival Committee intervened and they ended up having a spelling bee between the two classes while you and Bon were gone last week. Godain-kun was the best speller so his class gets you."

"Really?" Rin asked, eyes wide.

"We had a preliminary meeting and you're basically in charge of the booth," Godain shrugged. "As long as you aren't too busy?"

"No!" Rin exclaimed excitedly. "Do we have a theme? I can definitely make a menu around whatever theme we come up with. We decorate the booth and do up menus to match, maybe have costumes if people don't mind… They really wanted me involved?"

Suzuki glanced up from his meal with a disgusted expression, "I can't stand you but I don't turn down your food," he pointed out. "Stop looking for reassurances; they're running a food booth and you're practically a professional chef, of course they want you. Whichever class gets you is pretty much guaranteed to make the most money-" Suzuki broke off abruptly and from Ueno's expression the others guessed that she'd kicked him under the table.

Godain caught Rin's shoulder and subtly turned him away from Suzuki, "I think having a theme is a good idea, decorating the booth and coming up with costumes will get more of the class involved. I already talked to Itamae-san and the class; Itamae-san said you can take off from your apprenticeship early until the festival is over, that way you can take lunch with our class and we'll hold our planning meetings while we eat."

"So is everyone going to the concert?" Maki remarked. "Rules are students only and you've got to come with a date, which is just another way for the headmaster to stir up drama."

Godain glanced questioningly at Mana, she smiled shyly and nodded.

"Sadao-kun is going with me," Ueno stated.

Suzuki grinned. "Michi-chan is the jealous type." he said.

"I'm your babysitter," Ueno responded promptly. "You get in trouble every time I take my eyes off you."

"And we all know Kamiki-san and Rin-kun are together. Shiemi-chan and Aiko-chan both left school taking their loveliness with them," Ito sighed. "That just leaves Noriko-chan for the rest of us to fight over."

"Oh I have my own thoughts on that subject," Paku replied.

"Who's the lucky guy?" Ito teased.

"You'll see," Paku replied mysteriously.

* * *

><p>After dinner Rin took his thermos and slipped out of the dorm. He crossed the darkened campus heading for the small apartment Angel kept just off the True Cross Academy grounds. Rin scanned the names on the mailboxes to find Angel's room then headed up the stairs and knocked tentatively on the older knight's door.<p>

"Come in," Angel called then blinked tiredly at Rin. "You aren't Zi… Tereza and Ms. Annie lack sufficient manners to knock before letting themselves in." The Paladin still looked pale, his coat was off and his left arm was wrapped in bandages from wrist to elbow, but he looked better than he had the last time Rin had seen him. Caliburn leaned against the wall, close to hand.

Rin held up the thermos. "I brought beef stew," he said. "It's supposed to be good for blood loss."

"Thank you," Angel said gravely accepting Rin's offering.

Rin scuffed his foot against the floor. "I'm trying not to be reckless," he said. "You're using Caliburn too much because I get us in trouble aren't you?"

"It's hardly your fault Flame Demons persist in focusing their attacks on you," Angel said dismissively.

"We were just discussing new tactics," Lightening added and Rin jumped, not having noticed the Archknight's presence.

"You might as well sit," Angel said to Rin. "Saves me relaying whatever we figure out later."

Rin glanced around uncertainly then hesitantly took the armchair opposite Lightning.

"Alright, let's summarize," Lightning said leaning back in his chair. "Since spring we've been investigating infighting in the Flame Kingdom and, at best, we've been one step behind. Running around trying to figure out why Flame demons are killing each other and steadily losing familiars and demons who were contracted to provide us with Blessed Ashes."

"We would have figured it out if Pheles had told us what he knew earlier," Angel grumbled.

Lightning ignored him. "Seems things have been going on for longer than we realized, for generations Iblis has been hunting down Exorcist bloodlines with Flame Affinity and eradicating them…" Lightning trailed off for a moment. "According to the True Cross, God made a pact with mankind giving Assiah holy water, blessed ashes, sacred soil and venerated relics to use as defenses against incursions by Gehenna. The pact carried such weight that as the Kingdom of God split into factions and eventually became the Eight Kingdoms we know today God's sacred word was inherited by those that came after him, even by the demons we fight today. That oath still binds them to provide Assiah with the tools to fight Gehenna. It seems Iblis is out to break the part of that oath which was inherited by his kingdom."

"But demons can't just go around breaking their oaths," Rin pointed out.

"They can if there's no one alive for the Oath to lay claim to," Lightning said bluntly. "We didn't notice as the number of Fire Tamers dwindled. The Myodha plague that began around twenty years ago and was ended by Fujimoto Shiro may suggest that Iblis went so far as to treat with the Kingdom of Decay to try to eliminate a strong hold of humans with Flame affinity. We didn't notice as contact was lost with the more friendly fire gods: Perun, Helios, Agni, Brigid, even Chantico. It was only last spring, when Iblis escalated his efforts to purge his kingdom of any demons who are allies of Assiah, that we took note. And, Okumura-kun, since you swore yourself to the Myodha it seems you've earned a fairly high place on Iblis' hit list."

"Someone else who thinks I should just die," Rin sighed. "Is it bad that I'm thinking at least Iblis wants to kill me because of things I did instead of because how I was born?"

Angel looked startled.

Lightning chuckled, "Fair enough," he said. "But, as hard as it is to get anyone to admit to making a mistake, there is a chance you can pry their eyes open and make them see you for who you are. You actually earned Iblis' enmity, the only way you'll make peace with him is if YOU change. Well, he could change I suppose, but he's been carrying out calculated warfare against Assiah for hundreds of years; I wouldn't hold out much hope for him changing his opinion of humans."

"I guess," Rin said reluctantly. "Our last mission was a trap wasn't it? That Avnas guy could have broken through the barrier if he'd wanted, his first attack was just to get our attention wasn't it?"

Angel grimaced, "We were lucky that Avnas is a lazy bastard who couldn't be bothered to think of anything more creative than attacking the Myodha stronghold to draw you out. If we hadn't had the Myodha barrier right there to retreat to or all of your allies nearby to reinforce us we wouldn't have survived."

"Which is why we need a new approach," Lightning said. "Okumura-kun, how much do you understand about Gehenna's ranking system?"

"Um, well… There's the Eight Kings," Rin said after a moment. "Amaimon told me told me a little about how they compare to each other." He grimaced then added, "He said Satan's a lot stronger than them, but Gaia's on Satan's level, right? That's good news since she likes Shiemi-chan. You guys talk about Dukes and Counts and stuff, they'd be below the Kings. Ucchusma said I was a Prince but I'm only as strong as a Count, um I mean a Viscount. Is that better or worse?"

"Worse, but don't let it get you down. You'd be a full count in the Spirit Kingdom," Lightning said consolingly, "since they don't bother with gradations. And demons in the former Kingdom of Death tend to claim whatever designation appeals to them personally without regard to power. I've heard Astaroth tried to force some sort of order on his Kin after the Kingdom of Death split into Time and Rot, but it never really took."

"The most commonly used ranks in order of strength are king, duke, marquis, count, baron and knight. That only applies to the strongest demons, most of the ones we see in Assiah aren't strong enough to hold a rank," Lightning said. "To give you a frame of reference, a first class exorcist is generally on par with a demon count… Luckily for exorcists, the efficacy of fatal verses doesn't change as a demon's power grows. If you know the right words, and the demon hasn't prepared counter-measures, a king will fall to their fatal verse as easily as the lowest coal tar."

"Each rank covers a broad range of strengths," Angel contributed. "Which is why most of the Kingdoms do use gradations. The most commonly used is Grand Duke, indicating a demon whose power begins to approach the power of the weaker kings like Amaimon or Anubis. However demonic power is neither static nor easily predicted once humans get involved. Take Caliburn for example: alone, he is too weak to hold rank as a demon." Rin got the distinct impression that Caliburn was pouting at Angel. Angel rolled his eyes, "I am making a point," he told his sword. "However, if I offer him even a minor sacrifice, together we can and have defeated demons ranked as marquis, quite handily at that. As you've seen, with a major sacrifice, with blood, we can do injury to Dukes of Hell. For my life… In twenty generations my predecessors have never found an opponent that they couldn't defeat at the cost of their life and soul."

Rin shivered.

"As much as certain parties on both sides may wish to deny it, Gehenna and Assiah are intertwined," Lightning resumed. "Exorcists use power gained from demons to fight demons. Demons can increase their power through dealings with humans, either by being worshiped or by collecting sacrifices. To reach the rank of Grand Duke demons need humans. To oppose Gehenna effectively humans need demons. And then, Okumura-kun, there are Princes of Hell, like you."

"I'm not-" Rin protested.

Lightning continued over him. "A Prince of Hell is more about potential or perceived potential than power," he explained. "A prince is a king-in-waiting. Defeated kings are also considered princes because, like Anubis, they could return to power. Due to your parentage, it's assumed that you could rise to become the King of Flames."

"I want to defeat Satan, not join him," Rin said firmly.

"And taking the Flame Kingdom wouldn't forward your goal?" Lightning asked. "Thanks to Iblis' policies it's a relatively weak kingdom as a whole, but still…"

"I agree with Okumura," Angel said. "I don't want him involved in infernal politics or hierarchies."

Lightning sighed, "Arthur, what you or Rin want is largely immaterial. If he is perceived to be involved, then he is involved and Sir Pheles has told us that he is."

"What does this have to do with not getting ambushed?" Rin asked uncomfortably.

"The four greater Hell Kings; Lucifer, Samael, Azazel and Beelzebub; hold power because gap between their power and a Grand Duke's power is such that they can only be challenged by each other, Satan or another elder god," Lightning explained. "The Earth Kingdom has more Grand Dukes than any other and Amaimon has always depended on coalitions within his kingdom to hold his territory. Anubis was the same during his previous reign, I assume he will be again. Egyn has a close relationship with his mother, Tiamat, and Astaroth had one with Satan, they're both known to depend on their parent's strenght to scare off challengers, although you can see how well that worked for Astaroth."

Angel looked disgusted. "I may not like or trust Pheles, but I have to admit he has ice running through his veins to entrap one of Satan's sons and conspire to keep a second from him."

Rin started to point out that Mephisto was also Satan's son and the King of Time to boot, but the words didn't come. He frowned and tried again, Angel and Lightning watched curiously as his face contorted with the effort to spit it out. To Rin, the restriction felt a bit like an Oath, but not. He shut his eyes and focused on the feeling. There was a binding on him, but it felt more external than a Demon Oath; Rin had no doubt that it was Mephisto's doing. Rather than continuing to try to fight it he asked, "What do you think Mephisto's rank is?"

Angel scowled darkly. "Whatever he claims, I _know_ Mephisto Pheles is a pseudonym; there is no possible way that he is a two hundred year old demon. I can't imagine why he even bothers with such ridiculous lies."

"Because they amuse him," Lightning replied smiling. "And they draw attention to his obvious secrets, which are like bright shiny toys that distract the eye from his true secrets." The archknight turned to Rin, "Debating Sir Pheles' true identity and purpose is one of the primary forms of entertainment at higher level True Cross meetings. It is blatantly obvious that he is much older and much stronger than he professes himself to be; at least a Marquis, possibly a Grand Duke of the Time Kingdom."

Angel made a disgruntled sound. "Better to call it the Kingdom of Entropy, everything it touches tends toward chaos."

Rin looked confused.

"The King of Time claims to be a champion of freedom." An ironic grin hovered about Lightning's lips. "In practical terms that means there is very little formal structure in the Kingdom of Time and he doesn't exert much direct control over his subjects. For that reason, knowing that Sir Pheles is kin of Samael tells us very little. And, as I mentioned, the Kingdom of Time doesn't conform to standard ranks; Sir Pheles claims the rank of Harlequin."

Rin snickered, "Even he calls himself a clown?"

"A trickster would be more appropriate," Angel muttered.

"I think it's likely the definition he'd claim is a light-hearted, nimble and astute servant, acting to thwart the plans of his master while pursuing his own love interest with wit and resourcefulness," Lightning suggested.

"Mephisto, with someone?" Rin's nose wrinkled in disgust.

"Perhaps less distracting for a teenager to simply say 'while pursuing his own interests'," Lightning amended.

Rin decided the appropriate response to the slight against his maturity would be to make a face at Lightning.

Lightning smirked then became more serious. "The more important question is who does Mephisto Pheles consider his master? Or perhaps who has made the mistake of considering him their servant? Samael? The Grigori? Satan? God?"

"Not Samael," Rin said with certainty.

Lightning glanced at him sharply.

"What about Iblis?" Rin asked. "What does he do?"

"Some kingdoms have a half-dozen Princes waiting in the wings, but Iblis is jealous of his power," Lightning explained. "He kills off anyone capable of challenging him before they reach their full power. Okumura-kun, to the best of my knowledge you're the only living Prince of Flames. Ucchusma is close, but he was defeated too definatively back when Iblis was consolidating his Kingdom. While you're not particularly strong right now, in all of Assiah or Gehenna's history you're the sole inheritor of Satan's blue flames, what you might become is down right terrifying. So you can either be killed because Iblis sees you as a threat to his power or you can become a threat in truth and hopefully defeat him."

"If he's really that much more powerful than me, how would I beat him? You pretty much said he's not going to sit around until I'm strong enough to fight him." Rin asked.

"By swearing yourself to the Myodha you've already made a good start against Iblis," Lightning said. "I'd guess that the only reason Iblis didn't eliminated Ucchusma was because he needed him as a bulwark against the Kingdom of Rot. You notice the Burning Impurity Kongo didn't waste any time securing you as an ally once the Impure King fell? The two of you along with the rest of the Myodha familiars have become a coalition that Iblis can't casually eliminate. We need to start strengthening that coalition before Iblis can find someone to assassinate you or muster the forces to take on the Myodha directly."

"How?" Rin repeated.

"We should start making contact with anyone else who might be on Iblis' hit list-"

"No!" Angel interrupted. "The Grigori will never agree to it. Okumura cannot go about making overtures to demons."

"Arthur-" Lightning began.

"No!"

"I kinda like the idea of getting more demons on Assiah's side," Rin said.

Angel winced.

Lightning sighed. "The Grigori doesn't want more demons on their side," he said then turned to Angel, "But we need them."

"Okumura's position with the Grigori is tenuous enough as it," Angel argued. "Maybe I would consider broaching the subject once the True Cross is more sure of him, once he's passed the Exorcist Exam. Until then Pheles and Ucchusma can do what they want with the information that Okumura opposes Iblis, but Rin? You will not actively do anything except fight the demons who attack Assiah. That is my final word on the subject."

* * *

><p><strong>Notes: <strong>

Perun - Slavic mythology. God of fire, lightning, mountains, the living world and a number of other things. Counterpart to Veles.

Helios - Greek mythology. Titan sun god. I picked him over Apollo due to Apollo also having an association with light.

Agni - Hindu mythology. God of fire, acceptor of sacrifices.

Brigid - Celtic mythology. She is the goddess of all things perceived to be of relatively high dimensions such as high-rising flames, highlands, hill-forts and upland areas; and of activities and states conceived as psychologically lofty and elevated, such as wisdom, excellence, perfection, high intelligence, poetic eloquence, craftsmanship (especially blacksmithing), healing ability, druidic knowledge and skill in warfare. Associated with perpetual, sacred flames.

Chantico - Aztec mythology. Goddess of the fire in the heart and volcanoes, noted for her possessiveness.

Entropy and Time - From some of the more philosophical discussion in physics classes: the arrow of time always points in the direction of increasing entropy aka increasing disorder. With Mephisto as King of Time, linking Time and Chaos has appeal.


	12. Fall Festival

**A New Normal**

**Disclaimer:** Characters and premise are the property of Kazue Kato. I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.

**Chapter Twelve: The Fall Festival**

A dazed and disbelieving smile split Rin's face as he sat at the center of an enthusiastic group of his non-cram school classmates.

"What do you want to make?" the class rep asked him. "The food is what none of the rest of us can do, so we should build our theme around the sort of things you want to prepare."

Rin blushed and ducked his head. "I- I don't know. I've got a pretty broad range now... um... I mean I'll let you know if I can't think of a menu, but…"

"How about an Oktoberfest theme?" One student suggested. "It's the right month, Headmaster Faust would probably like it, we might even talk him into letting us serve beer."

"The Headmaster, maybe," a second argued. "But the other teachers would veto any alcohol before we could finish writing the proposal."

"Oktoberfest food's sort of boring," Rin mumbled.

"I'd sort of, really like to do a Maid Cafe," one of the girls suggested blushing. Several of the other girls sitting close to her giggled. "Okumura-kun, what sort of food would go with that theme?"

"Um, well, I guess we could do a French Menu," Rin offered. Then he grinned. "Itamae-san just started me on haute cuisine, if a couple of you would be my assistants, um... ten people split into two shifts, I could use that model to organize our preparations. Then I could probably get Itamae to let me count that as a project for my internship so we could use the academy's kitchens. No offense, but I've seen the dorms' kitchenettes and they suck."

"I'd like to help with the cooking," one of the girls said. Godain and several other students nodded in agreement.

Rin's smile brightened. "Who's an early riser? I can teach you to make a pretty impressive Mille-feuille, but whoever helps with pastries and bread needs to wake up at four."

"He's serious," Godain said before anyone could ask. "Rin-kun wakes up at four every morning."

"The really fancy dessert the cafeteria serves?" one of the students asked. Rin nodded. "Okay, I can wake up to learn to make that."

"We could make paper mache mock-ups of the biggest Paris tourist attractions and put them around the seating area," Mana suggested. A number of their classmates nodded eagerly, shouting out suggestions.

"So it sounds like we have a plan," the class rep declared. "Let's start forming committees. In addition to Okumura-kun's assistants we'll need decorations, a wait-staff and clean up…"

Once the afternoon classes started Rin's cell phone vibrated every few minutes as his classmates came up with new ideas for their project and during the breaks he was immediately pulled into more debates. Fifteen minutes after the final bell rang, Mana and Godain dragged Rin off to Cram School. "Are class projects alway like that?" Rin asked them. "Why didn't I ever do something like this before? This is great! I didn't know school could be so totally cool!"

Godain laughed at Rin's child-like exuberance. "Well, Sir Pheles makes sure the Fall Festival is always a really big deal… I guess you missed it last year, being out sick all the time, but it's Sir Pheles going all out, so you can imagine. Plus your idea that we should have a theme is giving the whole class a chance to really be involved, that makes everything more fun."

The three of them walked into the Hall where the academic exorcist classes were taught. Ito and Maki were slumped against opposite walls under black clouds of dejection.

"What's wrong with them?" Rin asked the other first and second year Exwires.

"They're still looking for dates for the dance," Konekomaru reported dryly.

"Don't act so smug. I bet you and Suguro don't have dates either," Ito sulked.

"You'd lose that bet," Konekomaru said. "I'm going with the president of the 'We Love Sutras' Club."

Rin's eyes widened. "What about your fiancee?" he asked.

"Kimiko-san and I are going as friends," Konekomaru assured Rin. "Yoshikuni doesn't mind. Neither of us would ask the other to be left out of school activities just because the other can't be there." He turned to Maki and Ito. "You two should stop trying to make it into a date. None of the girls you've asked like you that well-"

"Miwa-senpai is cruel!" Maki protested.

"Honesty is cruel," Ueno interjected.

"-but I'm sure there are girls who would love the chance to attend without the pressure of a romantic entanglement," Konekomaru continued calmly.

"What about you?" Ito asked Bon.

"I'm a serious student," Bon declared. "I don't have time for festivals."

Rin started biting his lower lip worriedly.

"In other words you go turned down, just like those two losers," Suzuki concluded.

"I'll have you know…" Bon started then suddenly cut himself off. "I choose not to go. I haven't been turned down because I haven't asked anyone. And I'm not going to either." He turned to Ito and Maki, "Just look at all the time and energy the two of you are wasting on this festival when you could be preparing for the Exorcist Exam at the end of the term." Too late, Bon noticed Rin's hunched shoulders and unhappy expression. "I'm helping with my class' project of course," the Aria back-peddled. "It's our responsibility to do our part for class activities." He glared at Ito and Maki again. "The two of you are spending so much time worry about girls that you're probably slacking on your duties there too."

Rin's posture relaxed but his earlier excitement was lost. "I guess you don't want to waste your time on the dance either," Rin said unhappily to Izumo.

"Did I ever say that?" Izumo snapped as she glared darkly at Bon. "I happen to like music and I know you do too. If Suguro's too chicken to ask the girl he actually likes it's not our problem."

When the first and second year Exwires split up to go to their classes Izumo waited until Rin had turned into their classroom. Then she grabbed Bon's tie and, with surprising strength given her slight size, yanked the tall boy down to her eye level. "Get over yourself and let Rin have some fun," she hissed. "I happen to know Paku is planning to ask you to the dance-"

"I turned her down," Bon said.

"You what?" Izumo's grip tightened, her eyes glittered dangerously. "You are going to apologize to her and beg her to let you escort her to the dance. And you're telling Rin that you're going so he can enjoy it," she ordered.

Bon pushed her away then took a moment to recover his breath as he straightened his clothes. "I like Noriko-chan and it would have been fun to go, but I really don't have time," he said irritably. "I've got several meetings with the Myodha High Council every week. I've got my normal class load and cram school. Also I tutor Rin in Demon Pharmacology, English and World History. The missions with Angel's squad are great experience, Rin and I are lucky to be doing that, plus the archknights getting to know Rin can only help us with the Grigori later on, but where you and Konekomaru spend a few hours in the evenings or weekends doing field work Rin and I are gone for days at a time with little to no warning. It's a big disruption to our schedule and that time has to be made up. Rin doesn't have time either, the Exorcist Exam is coming up in three more months, the Grigori's threat to execute him if he doesn't pass still stands."

"He's going to fail," Izumo said bluntly. "Rin's learned a lot, but he won't pass the recitation section or the pharmacology section. Mephisto's just going to have to pull something again." She gritted her teeth. "This whole thing is so stupid, passing in three years is perfectly respectable!"

Bon grimaced and nodded. "Yeah, I checked the stats too. If we have to argue it, in the last fifty years, three percent of True Cross Exorcists have had to take the Exam more than five times before they passed. Rin being required to pass on the first time is nuts. Still, he should try to make a decent showing."

"The Exam isn't the only important thing," Izumo stated. "Rin walked in here looking confident and happy. Doing something positive with his normal classmates and not being ostracized for once could be really good for him. It could go a long way toward get rid of any doubts he might still have about whether or not Yukio lied to him." Then she added in a threateningly, "Do not screw this up."

* * *

><p>Paku politely listened to Bon's awkward apology and request. "Sorry," she said. "You were my first choice for a date to the dance, but not my only one. I can't un-ask Katayama-senpai just because Izumo forced you to change your mind."<p>

"You asked someone else?" Bon hoped he didn't sound as shocked as he felt.

"Ryuji-kun, what did you expect after you turned me down?" Paku asked. "I do understand if you're too busy for girls right now, but I won't be putting my life on hold because of that. Look, when things slow down and you've got time to date… Well if I'm not seriously involved with someone else by then… We could give it a try, I do like you quite a bit after all."

Bon tried not to gape like a fish out of water.

Paku smiled and patted his hand. "It's probably for the best," she said. "I'm not really ready for anything serious right now and I can't see you in a frivolous relationship… So, I'll go with Katayama-senpai and have fun and you can find someone else to go with." Paku gave him an innocent look. "Or face Izumo's wrath. Just one bit of advice Ryuji-kun: Don't go back and ask any of the girls who cried when you turned them down the first time around. If you thought that was unpleasant you really aren't going to enjoy having to break-up with them as soon as the dance ends."

Bon watched Paku walk off still in a state of shock. "Katayama?" ha managed. "But he's a fourth year!"

* * *

><p>"Noriko-chan is going with a fourth year," Bon informed Konekomaru.<p>

"So you still need a date or Izumo is going to kill you," Konekomaru deduced.

"What's a fourth year thinking, asking a girl two years younger to go with him?" Bon grumbled. "What do we know about Katayama anyway?"

"Okay, we've got to find you a date who won't care that you're only going to keep Rin from feeling guilty about having fun while you study AND that won't care if you spend the whole night obsessing about Noriko-chan's date," Konekomaru sighed. "I'll ask Kimiko-san if she has any friends who are trying to circumvent the Headmaster's rule about bringing a date."

"Maybe I could talk Tsuzo into pulling his records, that might have some hint as to what kind of guy this Katayama is. He can't be a good student; if he was he'd be more worried about his classes. He's a fourth year!"

"Ito and Maki are pretty desperate to find dates," Konekomaru said dryly. "If all else fails you could cross-dress and take one of them. Noriko-chan had a blast doing your makeup last time."

Rin looked around the transformed classroom, impressed by his classmates' artistic skill. Then he turned to his two sleepy assistant pastry chefs. He put a key in the door that normally led to a supply closet, then before opening the door, Rin turned back to his classmates. "We didn't get permission to use the cafeteria kitchen, but this is almost as good. Don't ask how it works or how I arranged it, just be glad it does," he instructed thinking back two days earlier:

"_I just have to watch anime with you?" Rin asked Mephisto suspiciously. "What's the catch?"_

_Mephisto pouted elaborately, "You have such a suspicious mind. I want to spend quality time with my little brothers, but Amaimon complains endlessly about the volume of treats provided and you assume I'm up to no good." _

_Several hours later Rin was sitting on the edge of the couch in Mephisto's quarters his eyes glued to the screen. "Don't take her to the dance!" he told the boy on the screen. "It'll break Houki's heart!"_

"_What about Laura?" Mephisto asked eagerly. "I think she'd be happier if she gave up on him and went for Charl."_

Rin threw open the closet door and the Old Dorm's kitchen was on the other side. It was four in the morning, the other two students blinked in confusion but shrugged and walked through without questioning how a kitchen got into the supply closet.

* * *

><p>Konekomaru woke to the sound of rattling and banging rising up from the first floor of the Old Dorm. Quietly he slid out of bed and pulled on a robe. He met Bon in the hall, the bigger boy had his holster strapped under his arm. "It wouldn't be the first time something got through the Academy Barriers," Bon said.<p>

Konekomaru nodded. "We should get more help," he said quietly. He opened the door to Maki's room while Bon took Godain's room on the opposite side of the hall. Konekomaru shook Maki awake, "There's something down stairs, get your gear and meet us at the top of the stairs," he ordered.

"Godain's missing," Bon said with a worried frown and moved on to Ito's room while Konekomaru went to wake Suzuki. A short while later the first year boys less Godain were assembled behind Bon and Konekomaru. Maki was armed with a bat, Ito had a sling-shot and Suzuki carried several vials of anti-demon pharmaceuticals. Bon nodded and the six boys crept cautiously down the stairs.

"It's in the kitchen," Konekomaru said softly. "I'll cast a barrier, Maki through the door first. Bon and Ito follow them. Suzuki, hold back until we know what we're dealing with." Konekomaru started chanting, a moment before he completed the spell he gesture Maki forward. The knight hopeful kicked the door open and charged in.

Rin glanced up from where he was demonstrating how to make roll out dough to Godain and two of their regular classmates. Maki let his bat drop, "It's just the son of Satan," he called over his shoulder. "What the hell is up with making all this noise so early?" he asked as the other boys crowded in behind him.

"I told you guys we were using the kitchen for our booth," Rin said crossly.

"The festival starts tomorrow," Konekomaru pointed out.

Rin rolled his eyes, "Like we've got time to make puff pastry dough every morning. We're making the dough today, then we'll chill it. Actually I've got the whole kitchen staff doing a dry run today. They're eating with us tonight. Dinner'll be great. Now, stay out of my kitchen."

"Just keep it down," Ito said with a yawn as he tucked his sling-shot into his pocket. "Even the sun's not up yet."

"Don't worry about the noise," Bon said. He glanced at the two normal students then stepped closer to Rin and lowered his voice. "I'll throw up a sound proof barrier around the kitchen. So just have fun."

Rin nodded and smiled gratefully, he turned back to his assistants, "Okay, excitement's over. Back to work!"

"Was that a gun?" one of Rin's assistant pastry chefs asked.

Rin blinked guilelessly at the girl. "Why would Bon have a gun? You must be seeing things."

* * *

><p>Bon sighed and turned off the clip-light on his textbook plunging the dorm room into darkness. He'd read the same passage three times now and it just wasn't sinking in. He stared up at the ceiling and frowned.<p>

"I can hear you worrying," Rin declared sleepily. "What's wrong?"

"Kamiki wouldn't really let Noriko-chan go to the dance with a shady character like Katayama?" Bon asked.

"I think Izumo would get an earful if she tried to tell Noriko-chan who she could or couldn't date," RIn said frankly. "What's wrong with the guy anyway?"

"He's a fourth year," Bo ticked off the point on his fingers. "According to some of the girls I questioned he's considered good looking. I couldn't find anyone he's dated to interrogate; apparently he had a long-distance thing with a girl from his middle school that ended over the summer but no one knows why. That's suspicious isn't it?"

"Izumo says she really does want to go, even if she's competing with you for the top spot in all your classes. If I took her I could keep an eye on Noriko-chan for you," Rin offered. "If this guy gets fresh with her or anything I'll scare the pants off him."

"He better keep his pants on!" Bon growled. Then he noticed that Rin's eyes were burning, the blue flames glowed eerily in the darkened room.

Rin grinned, the interior of his mouth was also glowing, illuminating his toothy smile. "Pretty cool huh? Ucchusma's been teaching me to pull my powers without the big light show for times when I wanna be stealthy. I haven't quite gotten it down yet."

"Cut that out," Bon groaned throwing a pillow at Rin. "You look like a demented jack-o-lantern." He thought for a moment about what Rin had said and sat up straight in bed. "You'd go to the dance with Kamiki and make sure that guy behaves himself around Noriko?"

"I guess it was a dumb idea," Rin said.

"No! It's brilliant," Bon exclaimed. "That solves all my problems. It's perfect. Rin you are a marvel."

Rin laughed and shook his head. "Just for you, I'll sacrifice myself and interrupt even if it's Noriko-chan who starts holding hands or, I dunno, kissing-"

"She wouldn't!" Bon looked horrified.

Rin snickered. "But you better appreciate it!"

"Always."

* * *

><p>Izumo let herself into the kitchen, she stood quietly against the wall watching the organized chaos.<p>

The Festival was well into it's second day, word had quickly spread about Rin's booth and there had been a forty minute wait to get a table since nine that morning. Rin responded by getting Mephisto's permission to lengthen their hours and recruiting additional member of his class to supplement his staff of assistant chefs.

Currently they had three shifts of eight students each per day in addition to Rin himself who was supervising all three shifts. Rin had the kitchen organized into five stations. For several minutes Izumo watched unnoticed while Rin bounced between the stations with boundless energy, keeping everything on track and directing his extra three people toward wherever more hands were needed. The wait-staff, dressed in tuxedos and maid outfits hurried back and forth through the key door to the classroom-turned-Parisian-cafe.

The smells wafting through the kitchen set Izumo's stomach to rumbling. Rin noticed, he swiped a pastry off a tray heading to their counter display and popped it into her mouth. "Mmm," Izumo said. Then teasingly, she said, "I was hoping you'd be in a tux."

"I'm the chef, not one of the waiters," Rin protested indignantly as he gestured to his hat and white coat. "If you want, I could borrow a tux for the dance," he added shyly.

"Great idea. That gives me an excuse to dress up too," Izumo decided. "I'll get Paku and we'll go dress shopping this afternoon. Going as a double date with her and her date was a great idea. Don't tell Suguro, but I don't think keeping an eye on Katayama is a bad idea."

One of the girls who was waiting on tables burst into the kitchen. "That totally gorgeous guy is back today!" she squealed to one of her friends.

Rin shook his head. "I better go make sure whoever is waiting on Angel isn't gonna swoon," he told Izumo.

"Rin-kun! Is the sauce supposed to look like this?" the boy conscientiously stirring the pot on the stove called urgently.

Rin gave Izumo a quick kiss, "See you later," he said as he rushed over to the stove.

Smiling softly Izumo slipped back out of the kitchen.

* * *

><p>Nagatomo watched Rin attempting to tie the bow-tie on his tux... or possibly strangle himself with it judging from the way he went at it. "Here, let me help you with that," the older man offered. Rin gratefully surrendered the bow-tie. As Nagatomo went to put it to rights they both hesitated for a moment, caught by memories of Shiro performing the same task before Rin's ill-fated job interview and Nagatomo helping Rin get ready for Shiro's funeral a few days later. "There, now you look spiffy for Izumo-chan," Nagatomo said quietly when he finished.<p>

"Thanks," Rin replied with a small smile.

"I'm taking pictures of the two of you to send back to the monastery, just so you know," Nagatomo threatened. "You're going with Noriko-chan and her date, aren't you?"

Rin nodded, "What's-his-name is meeting us here."

Bon and Konekomaru came downstairs a few minutes later. "I'd better hurry, Kimiko-san is expecting me," Konekomaru said on his way out the door. Bon dropped a pile of books on one of the lobby tables, then came over to Rin. "Thanks again, it'll be nice to have the dorm to myself tonight. I'm trying to catch up on even more of the Myo-o-dhari history that is secret unless you're on the council." He made a face expressing his disapproval of the Myodha council's habitual secrecy.

Maki and Ito stalked downstairs and disgustedly threw themselves into chairs on opposite sides of the lobby. "No luck getting dates?" Nagatomo asked hiding a smile.

"No! And Maki refuses to dress as a girl so we can go," Ito sulked.

"You're the one who had half a chance of fitting into the dress!" Maki protested.

"So the two of you have nothing to do?" Tsuzo asked. "You're not going to use your free time to work on homework or something?"

"Hell no!" Maki declared.

"I might write some letters complaining about the headmaster excluding members of the study body from school events," Ito said thoughtfully. "I just have to figure out who to send them to so Mephisto gets a headache instead of a laugh out of them."

Tsuzo smiled broadly. "Then you've both got plenty of time to help out with security." She herded the two grumbling boys off to equip them with radio in preparation of putting them to work.

Godain and Suzuki joined Rin to wait for their dates. Like Rin, Godain had borrowed a tux from one of the boys who'd been helping as a waiter in their class' cafe while Suzuki was wearing a suit jacket and tie.

The four girls descended the stairs together but Rin only had eyes for Izumo. She was wearing a shimmery, deep purple gown with a full skirt that fell to her ankles, it had a fitted bodice and heart-shaped neckline that left Izumo's shoulders bare. Her long hair was piled up on top of her head in a woven crown. Nagatomo snapped a few quick pictures of Rin staring at Izumo with an expression of stunned amazement as she descended the stairs.

* * *

><p><strong>Delphi<strong>

Renzo climbed up the stairs from the bath house after helping with the evening bath time. He was half-way across the courtyard when one of the former La Llorona stopped him. "Mr. Renzo, would you mind looking at something for me?" she asked timidly. "I didn't want to bother Mr. Neuhaus or King Amaimon if it turned out to be nothing…"

"Sure, no problem," Renzo cut off her nervous babbling with a smile. "So is it that I'm more approachable than those two or do you just think I'm not working hard enough? Um, Sofia, right?"

"You, you remembered me?" Sofia stammered.

Renzo took her elbow, "I remember all the pretty girls' names. Now let's see if I can put your mind to ease about whatever it is you wanted to show me? If it's really something to worry about I'll turn it over to someone scarier than me, I promise."

Sofia nodded jerkily then led him out to Gaia's hedge. "That," she said vaguely, pointing toward the base of the hedge. Renzo crouched to get a better look before the light faded from the sky. Quickly Sofia pricked the back of his neck with a small needle. Renzo collapsed without a sound, unconscious before his body hit the ground, then Sofia pressed his hand to the thorny barrier. Recognizing Renzo's blood, the hedge opened a passage. Todo Saburota walked through followed by two men in elaborate, military-style uniforms. Todo walked over to Sofia while his subordinates collected Renzo.

"We'll be safe now, won't we?" Sofia asked, her eyes strayed guiltily to Renzo's limp form. "My little boy and I?"

Todo smirked. "Safe as houses. You did well in your first assignment my dear."

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong> So I just read Chapter 64. I am incredibly curious about how the latest reveal plays into some of Shima's internal monologues from the Kyoto Arc. But it's probably too late to change any of my plans for Renzo to line up with cannon at this point.


End file.
